The Ties That Bind, Part III
by transmutejun
Summary: The final fic in the Ties That Bind Trilogy. Now that Red Impulse is gone, can Ken finally shake his father's shadow?
1. Chapter 1

_This fic is part of my Origins series, and fits in with other stories in that AU. In particular, this fic goes through a number of events depicted in my fic: _It's Not Easy Being Green _(also posted on this site), although it is not necessary to have read that story in order to follow this one._

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Chapter 1

Joe Asakura turned over on the hard, lumpy platform that passed for a bed in his tiny metal trailer. Yet it wasn't his physical discomfort that was preventing him from sleeping.

An image of Ken rose up in his mind. When they had been returning from Hontwal the previous week, after the launch of the missile to bring the Van Allen Belt back into position, Joe had been filled with relief to see his friend back in his chair on the God Phoenix, where he belonged. At that time, the Condor had been in command of the Science Ninja Team for days. He had quickly come to discover that he didn't relish the role at all, and had been, in fact, eager to relinquish it back to the Eagle. Even more, the entire time he had been in command, Joe had been worried about Ken and his 'radio silence', fearing that his friend might be hurt, or in trouble. Whatever their differences, Ken was like a brother to Joe, and his disappearance had been difficult for the Condor to deal with.

Joe had attempted to tell Ken how good it was to have him back, but the Eagle had barely heard his friendly words.

"Berg Katse," Gatchaman had growled, "it's your fault that my father is dead! I'll chase you to the ends of the Earth and finish you off with my own bare hands!"

The Eagle's words and manner had been more angry and vicious than the Condor could ever recall seeing before. Of course, Ken had just been dealt an enormous emotional blow. The father he had presumed dead for fourteen years had suddenly turned up alive… and in the form of that bastard, Red Impulse… only to be suddenly ripped away from Ken again moments later. It had been an emotionally devastating moment for the usually reserved Eagle. Joe supposed Ken could be forgiven for being distraught.

Joe had tried to talk to Ken on more than one occasion since then, but each time he had been rebuffed. The Condor understood the need for emotional privacy; hell, he was practically the poster child for the role of 'brooding loner'. So he had left the Eagle to his own devices. Yet Ken's continued silence bothered him more and more.

This wasn't the Ken he knew. These days Ken was reminding Joe more and more of himself. It was an uncomfortable feeling, especially as the Condor didn't like what he was seeing. If the Eagle stayed like this, would he continue to be an effective leader for the Science Ninja Team? After stepping into that role involuntarily over the past few missions, the Condor knew that he wasn't the man to fill Ken's shoes.

A sharp knock on his door disrupted his gloomy train of thought. It was still dark outside; a little early for visitors. Still, it didn't look like he was going to be getting more sleep anytime soon.

Cautiously, Joe stood up, moving toward the door, prepared for a quick strike, if necessary. He put one hand into his pocket, gripping some feather shuriken, while opening the door with the other.

Ken.

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah, why not?"

Joe stepped aside to let his friend into the small trailer, then shut the door behind him.

"What brings you by, Ken?"

"I… I needed to talk."

"Okay… so talk."

"It's not that simple, Joe. I..." the Eagle suddenly rounded on the Condor, a desperate look in his eyes.

"How do you do it, Joe?" he asked anxiously. "How do you get through each day, knowing that your parents are dead, and that the bastards who caused it are still out there, somewhere?"

Oh, was _that_ all?

"It wasn't easy, at first." Joe admitted. "But then, I was only five years old when they were murdered. It took me a couple of years before I stopped thinking about them every single day."

"But you still think about them?"

"Of course I do!" Joe replied. "But I have other things to focus on now, like the Team."

"And the reason you wanted to join the Team in the first place was to get revenge on Galactor for what they did to your parents."

"True," Joe admitted, "but I seem to recall that you had a similar motivation, Ken."

"That's different…" Ken protested.

"How?"

"Well, I thought my Dad had died because his plane had been sabotaged fourteen years ago…"

"By Galactor."

"Well, yes, but…"

"No 'buts', Ken! Your Dad is dead, and it's Galactor's fault. None of that has changed. So what's different, _now_?"

"_What's the difference_?" yelled Ken, outraged. "The difference is that Galactor stole fourteen years of time away from me! Time I could have spent with my father!"

"Ken…" Joe's voice broke off as he found that he couldn't bring himself to voice his thoughts aloud. Ken felt that Galactor had taken fourteen years from him, but it had been Ken's father and Dr. Nambu who had staged Kentaro Washio's 'death'. The elder Washio had become Red Impulse and had stayed away, not even maintaining the most basic of contacts with his only child.

From what Joe could see, the separation hadn't bothered Red Impulse at all.

From what the Condor knew of Red Impulse, he could easily believe that Ken's father was a coldhearted bastard who had had no feelings at all for his own son. Yet Joe could hardly voice such a thing to Ken, who had cultivated an intense hero-worship of his father, even before discovering the man's 'identity'.

No, better to let things lie. Red Impulse was truly gone now, and that was for the better. Why hurt Ken with his suspicions at a time when the Eagle's emotional wounds were still raw?

"_What_?" Ken asked, clearly irritated that Joe had stopped speaking mid-sentence.

"Let's go to the Snack." Joe suggested, scrambling for a response. "You could use a familiar place to think things through." That much was certainly true. Since they had left Dr. Nambu's villa to live at the ISO Building, the Science Ninja Team had never truly had a home. As much as was possible, the Snack J filled that void in their lives, and perhaps there, Ken would be able to relax enough to deal with this cloak of anger he had wrapped around himself.

"Okay." Ken replied in a defeated manner. "I suppose Jun's Joint is as good a place as anywhere else."

"It's going to be all right, Ken." Joe reassured his friend as they left the trailer.

The Condor was confident in this statement. Now that Red Impulse was truly gone, everything could go back to how it had been before this Hontwal nightmare had begun.

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"Awaken, Kentaro Washio."

The man formerly known as Red Impulse sat up, rubbing his eyes and blinking blearily at his surroundings.

The room was cold enough that his breath frosted in front of his mouth. He was sitting on the ground, atop a worn blanket, and he suddenly realized that only one other blanket lay between his bare flesh and the icy air. His red uniform was gone.

"Where am I?"

"You are with me." Sosai's voice echoed in his mind. "I have taken you here to speak with you."

"You took me here…" Kentaro shook his head, attempting to remember despite the haze that filled his mind. The V2 Termination Missile… he had floated up into the atmosphere, detonating it far above the Earth's surface… he had died…

Or had he?

"You have proven yourself worthy of another chance." Sosai declared.

"I have?" Kentaro asked, amazed.

"Yes. You were willing to sacrifice your own life to do my bidding." the alien entity acknowledged. "Your loyalty is unquestionable. Your only fault has been in this unreasonable competition with Berg Katse."

"I only wish to be more worthy of you, Sosai." Kentaro replied. "And if you wish for me to cease competing with Katse…"

"I am not entirely certain that you are capable of that." Sosai sneered. "It isn't within your weak human nature to push your enviousness, your covetousness, aside. Yet despite that weakness, you passed my test."

"Your test?"

"Yes. I asked you to perform a task that you could not possibly survive, and yet you did my bidding regardless, without hesitation. It is for this reason that I pulled you out of the missile and brought you here."

"And where is 'here'?" Kentaro asked curiously.

"You humans know this place as 'Siberia'." Sosai replied. "We are on the edge of the Ural Mountains. It is an isolated and remote area; far enough away from Berg Katse that he will not suspect your presence here."

"Katse doesn't know…"

"No. He does not know that I have saved you. I told him that you were dead, and that I was pleased with his performance." the alien entity revealed. "Berg Katse has been something of a disappointment to me."

Kentaro Washio felt hope rise up in his heart. Sosai had been right when he had said that Kentaro would never be able to push his rivalry with the purple mutant aside. But if Berg Katse was not meeting Sosai's standards…

Perhaps there was still a chance for Kentaro Washio.

"How so, Sosai?" Kentaro asked.

"Katse has been unable to defeat the Science Ninja Team." the alien entity complained. "Time and time again, he has been defeated by them, and I grow tired of his constant excuses."

"I understand." Kentaro nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Make no mistake, Berg Katse _is_ Lord of Galactor," Sosai declared, "but it has occurred to me that perhaps I should seek out other methods of achieving my goals. If you and Katse were _both_ working toward my ends, those ends should be reached that much more quickly."

"I am happy to serve you in any way you require, Sosai." Kentaro groveled.

"I hope so, Kentaro Washio." the alien entity replied. "Now, tell me everything you know about the Mantle Plan…"

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The Snack wasn't open yet when Ken and Joe got there, but Jun was up, and after one look at the expression on Ken's face, she let them in without a word. They sat down at a booth, and the Swan silently got everyone cups of coffee, before sliding in next to the Eagle.

Ken sipped quietly at the steaming liquid in his cup, keeping his eyes down. That set the pattern for Joe and Jun, who also refused to look at the Eagle. But the Condor's gaze met the questioning one of the Swan, and all he could do was shake his head, indicating that she should remain silent.

"Thanks…" Ken mumbled after a few minutes.

"Anytime, Ken." Jun said quietly. "I know you've had a rough time of it, lately."

"You don't know the half of it."

"So tell us, Ken." Jun urged.

"I agree." Joe added. "This is eating you up, Ken."

"You both know what happened." Ken said in a bitter voice. "You don't need to ask me that."

"Of course we know what happened." Joe replied. "We were there. What concerns us is how you're dealing with it."

"I'm dealing with it just fine."

"Is that why you showed up on my doorstep at four am, and why we're here at Jun's before sunrise?" Joe asked wryly.

"I just can't take this waiting around!" Ken exploded, slamming his coffee cup down onto the table and spilling the dark liquid across the Formica surface. "I need to _do_ something… to…"

The Eagle looked up, heedless of the hot coffee dripping off of his hand. The expression on his face was one of intense pain, as if he were barely able to deal with the very thoughts running through his head.

"I have to go." he said brusquely, pushing past Jun and out of the booth.

"Ken, wait!" Jun cried, running after him. "Talk to us! We're your friends…"

But the Eagle was gone, the front door of the Snack J banging behind him. Jun turned back to look at Joe, her eyes desperate.

"What should we do?" she asked. "I've never seen him like this…"

"He was like this once before." Joe admitted. "When we thought you had died…"

"What snapped him out of it?" Jun asked.

"Your Birdscramble. Once we knew you weren't dead."

"I guess that's not going to happen in this case." Jun sighed, slumping back into the booth, across from Joe.

"God, I hope not."

The Swan looked up sharply at the venom in the Condor's voice.

"What are you talking about, Joe?"

"You're not telling me that you had any love for Red Impulse?"

"Hardly." Jun snorted. "He was a pompous, arrogant ass. But even so, he was Ken's Dad…"

"Didn't make him any less of a pompous, arrogant ass." Joe retorted. "In fact, I think it made him even more of one. Abandoning Ken like that… ignoring him for all of those years…"

"But he had a good reason…" the Swan protested weakly.

"Good reason my ass!" Joe growled. "I wouldn't _ever_ abandon someone I loved. I don't care _what_ Galactor did. My first priority would _always_ be the people I cared about…"

"But what if sacrificing yourself was the only way to save the people you loved?" Jun probed. "What if cutting yourself off from them was the only way to ensure that they were safe, and happy?"

The Condor didn't have an answer for that.

He just hoped he never had to find one.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"As you can see, Galactor has outdone themselves with this recent wave of malicious activity."

Dr. Nambu's voice sent a chill down the Condor's spine. The images he had just seen of this new crab mecha and the destruction it could cause proved that Galactor was not going to just fall back after the reversal of the V2 Plan. If anything, this was one of the most vicious and precise attacks the UN had seen. The crab mecha was targeting all of the major uranium storage facilities around the globe… almost as if they knew that the Mantle Plan was heavily dependent upon uranium for its current stage of execution…

"All of the world's primary uranium institutes have been attacked within this past week." the Doctor reported. "Obviously it's their strategy to completely destroy the International Science Organization's Mantle Project."

"So Galactor's starting to get impatient again, Hakase?" Joe asked grimly.

"You know, I can't believe it's been almost a year since they first started attacking the Earth." Ryu commented.

"The ISO is going to hold a conference to discuss countermeasures." Nambu said, ignoring the Owl. "However this is Galactor we're talking about. They're bound to try something unexpected."

"You want us to guard it?" Jun asked.

"That's it? We're not going to take down the Crab Killer?" Jinpei was surprised. "I think we should attack it. Don't you, Aniki?" The Swallow looked up at the Eagle.

But rather than respond, Gatchaman just sighed, turning away and walking to the window, to stare out at the passing fish.

"What now?" the Doctor asked in an exasperated tone.

"Our goal isn't to take out these ridiculous mecha monsters!" Ken declared angrily. "It's to defeat Galactor."

"Man, it's kind of the same thing, though!" Jinpei snapped. But Joe wasn't so certain. Ken had a point. For the past few months the Science Ninja Team had been doing little but waiting for Galactor to attack, and then moving to destroy the source of those attacks. They were being _reactive_, rather than _proactive_. Perhaps the Eagle was onto something.

"No, it isn't!" Ken shouted, rounding on Jinpei, his fingers curled into a fist. While Joe agreed with Ken, and often felt like smacking the Swallow himself, on this particular occasion it seemed like the Eagle was overreacting. The Condor tensed, waiting for an explosion.

"But, Aniki…" Jinpei cried weakly.

"Jinpei," Jun said calmly, placing a soft hand on the boy's shoulder, "what Ken's trying to say is that no matter how many mecha monsters we take down, it's pointless unless we defeat Galactor itself."

Trust the Swan to say exactly the right thing. Joe could feel the tension in the room beginning to dissipate.

"Oh yeah, he's got a point there." Ryu agreed.

"That's enough!" Nambu snapped. "Move out tomorrow. I'm counting on you!"

"Roger!"

But this time Ken did not join in. Instead, he left the room, refusing to look at the members of his Team.

"But… Ken!" Jun cried.

"He's got a lot on his mind right now." Nambu told her. "He'll be back soon enough."

"And what if he isn't?" Jinpei asked quietly.

That was a question none of them wanted to answer.

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That very afternoon, the Science Ninja Team was waiting at ISO Headquarters, monitoring the conference for any sign of Galactor activity. Ken had returned, but he had refused to join the others, instead sulking about by himself outside of the building.

Joe entered the large lounge from which Dr. Nambu had told the Team to observe the proceedings. Massive windows looked over the conference area, where they would be able to see and hear everything that was going on.

Jun was already present, sitting quietly on a bench. She would have been a picture of perfect tranquility, if she hadn't been nervously wringing her hands. When she heard Joe enter, the Swan looked up, worry etched into her delicate features.

"Is Ken coming?"

"No." Joe sighed, sitting down next to Jun. "Hakase wouldn't even let me get near him. He keeps insisting that Ken needs some time alone."

"I don't know, Joe." Jun admitted. "I think he's had entirely too much time alone. You saw what he was like this morning at the J… I just don't know what to do…"

The Swan appeared to be so forlorn that the Condor instinctively reached out to her. Yet as he did so, her body changed position, and Joe ended up awkwardly shifting his arm behind the back of the bench, to cover his intended action.

"After this conference is over, we'll sit down with him and work this out." Joe promised. "We won't let Ken walk away like we did this morning."

"Thanks, Joe." Jun said, a small smile appearing on her lips. "I knew I could count on you."

Jinpei and Ryu entered the room, arguing loudly about the value of spending their time monitoring Dr. Nambu's conference.

"Shut up, you two!" Joe snapped at them. "This is important, and Hakase asked us to do it. Besides, there are more important things to worry about right now."

"You're right, Joe." Ryu sighed. "But I still think this is a waste of our time." The Owl crossed his arms in a show of what passed for defiance.

"It looks like nothing's going to happen." Jun agreed.

"This is Galactor we're dealing with," Joe reminded her, "so who knows when they're going to attack? We've got to stay frosty!"

"I haven't seen Aniki around anywhere." Jinpei noted. "What gives?"

"Who knows?" Ryu was clearly still irritated. "Just hang! I'm sure he wants some time alone."

"I'm afraid you can't stay here." Dr. Nambu said, entering the room.

"Why not?" Jinpei asked.

"The Atariian delegate has complained about your presence so close to the conference room." the Doctor replied. "Of course, I couldn't exactly tell him who you were. He has insisted that 'unaccompanied children' be left outside."

Joe caught a glimpse of some movement in the hallway outside the door. A tall, sour-looking man with generous sideburns and a pencil-thin mustache was frowning at him through an overlarge monocle. Sure enough, his badge was emblazoned with the flag of the small nation of Atarii. The Condor gave the man a polite smile, then turned back to face the others.

"Jerk." he muttered under his breath.

"All the same, I must ask you to go outside." Nambu insisted. "We do not want to anger the delegates. Our purpose here is to engage in friendly, productive conversation, to pool our ideas for defeating Galactor."

"Whatever." Ryu groaned.

"Let's just go outside." Joe said, doing his best to ignore the glaring delegate in the hallway as the four ninjas trooped from the room, down the stairs and out of the front door to the ISO headquarters. Pillars lined the front entrance area, leading to a series of steps, and it was here that they all decided to wait. Jinpei and Ryu sank glumly onto the step, while Jun pulled Joe quietly aside.

"I thought Ken was out here." she said worriedly. "I don't see him anywhere."

"He might be out back, in the courtyard near the fountain." Joe suggested. "But wherever he is, we don't have time to go looking for him. We need to stay here in case Hakase needs us."

"I just wish Ken would talk to us of his own accord." Jun sighed. "I thought he was going to do that this morning…"

"So did I." Joe replied. "He did ask me about my parents. He wanted to know how I had dealt with their deaths. This whole thing with Red Impulse is hitting him hard."

"He's still upset about his father?" Jun appeared to be surprised. "I mean, I knew he would be, but I thought he would have been able to hide it by now. He's so good at hiding his feelings…" Her voice dropped off to an angry whisper.

"You _said_ that he had feelings for me… that he was…"

"I did." The Condor flinched at the unspoken accusation in the Swan's words. "He does. It's just that…"

But Joe's words were interrupted as he was nearly knocked over by a tall man in a business suit who came flying out of the building.

"Hey!" the Condor cried.

The man ignored him, running over to a yellow sports car in the parking lot and jumping inside. Joe had just enough time to recognize the man as the Atariian delegate before Ken came bursting through a window, hot on his trail. The Eagle was in full Birdstyle, and he didn't stop to notice his teammates as he sprinted by.

"Ken!" Jinpei and Ryu shouted in amazement.

But Gatchaman paid no attention. Instead he jumped into an open car in the parking lot, brushing off the vehicle's surprised owner with a weak apology. The tires squealed when he exited the parking lot, and the Condor winced at the thought of what Gatchaman was doing to the high tech engine of his borrowed vehicle.

"Hey, thief!" the car's owner cried as he choked on Ken's dust. "Give me back my car, you bastard!"

"Aniki!" Jinpei whined.

"Damn!" the Condor swore, as he realized what was going on. "Ken's got a head start on all of us! That guy must be from Galactor!"

The four ninjas stood in shocked silence for a moment before Joe recovered himself. Ken had run off once again, leaving the Condor in charge, and it was up to _him_ to step up and lead the Team.

"We have to launch the God Phoenix and follow Ken!" Joe ordered the others.

Within minutes, they were flying high above the city, scanning for any sign of the two racing cars. Jun and Jinpei were having difficulty with this task, as they had little to go on other than the color of the automobiles and a vague direction.

"I'm checking the Police Communication lines." the Swan told the Condor. "Apparently there are reports of two reckless drivers at the northern edge of the city, heading into the mountains…"

"Ryu, step on it!" the Condor ordered.

"Already on it, Joe!"

The moment they reached the winding, twisting roads of the mountains they could see the two cars: a red dot chasing a yellow dot down the road, both vehicles swerving left and right.

"I'm going to create a rock slide in front of them by shooting at the side of the mountain." Joe announced. "Ryu, take us into position over…"

But the Condor's words caught in his throat as the red car suddenly pulled in front of the yellow car, causing the two vehicles to crash, before tumbling over the cliff and down the mountainside, exploding in a gasoline fueled blast.

"Ken's okay!" Jun shouted happily. "He's still on the road!"

And indeed, he was. Gatchaman had caught his man.

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The flight back to ISO headquarters was subdued. The prisoner was in the Brig, and Ken had reclaimed his usual seat on the Bridge, after instructing the Swallow to guard the Galactor prisoner well. But other than these orders, the Eagle had hardly spoken a word. He merely sat in his chair, his jaw clenched and his body shaking with barely restrained fury.

"Is everything all right, Ken?" Jun asked quietly, approaching the Eagle from behind and hesitantly placing a soft hand onto his shoulder. But Gatchaman brusquely shook off the gesture, practically shouting at the Swan.

"We have to interrogate that bastard, and find out everything he knows!" The Eagle growled. "He knows the location of Galactor headquarters. I'll _make_ him tell me…"

"Ken, this doesn't sound like you…" Joe offered, somewhat unnerved by Gatchaman's barely restrained fury. This wasn't something he was used to seeing from the usually mild-mannered Eagle.

But then, over the past two weeks, Ken hadn't been his usual self at all. Bit by bit, the Eagle had been falling apart, and Joe found himself helpless: unable to do more than stand by and watch as his best friend self-destructed.

It had to stop _now_. No more babying Ken or pussyfooting around his emotions. It was time to give the Eagle a dose of cold, hard reality, before things went too far.

"Just shut up, Joe!" Ken shouted, getting up and stalking off of the bridge. "If you're not going to help me, then just stay the hell out of my way!"

"That's just what I'm going to do, Ken." Joe said coldly, as the Eagle departed. "I'm going to help you, whether you like it, or not."

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The God Phoenix landed, and before anyone else could blink, the Eagle had already dragged the Galactor prisoner off to a nearby meeting room for interrogation. The Condor moved to follow, but was intercepted by the arrival of Dr. Nambu.

"Where's Ken?" the Doctor demanded to know. "How did he know the Atariian delegate was a Galactor spy?"

"I don't know, Hakase." Joe admitted. "He wouldn't tell us anything. The report Jun sent to you from the God Phoenix contains everything we were able to determine. And Ken is questioning the prisoner right now."

"I have to get back to the other delegates." Nambu said, his voice filled with frustration. "Find Ken, and I'll meet with you in one hour in my office. I'll expect a full report then."

"Yes, Hakase."

The Condor turned to look at the rest of the Science Ninja Team as Nambu departed.

"Let's find Ken." he said quickly.

"I saw him heading to the meeting rooms in B Wing." the Swan offered. "We can use the security system to find them quickly."

"Do it." Joe ordered, and Jun nodded, moving to the nearby security station and using her rank to commandeer the use of one of the surveillance monitoring terminals. The other three crowded in behind her as she searched.

"There he is!" she said, coming across feed of Gatchaman and the prisoner in one of the larger meeting rooms.

On the observation monitors there was only a flash of swirling color, so blinding that they all had to turn away.

"Now you will tell me!" came Gatchaman's demand from out of the sea of light. "Where? Where is Galactor's Headquarters? Tell me, now!"

They could hear the terrified moans and cries of the Atariian delegate, growing ever stronger as he was subjected to more of the swirling lights.

"Too many people have died because of you!" Ken accused. "Reveal Galactor's Headquarters, or suffer the torments of Hell!"

"Does the ISO condone this kind of thing?" Ryu asked, white-faced.

"Not on my watch." Joe growled. "It's one thing to belt it out of him, but this…"

"I can't take it anymore!" Jun sobbed, running for the door to the meeting room. The others followed close behind her.

"Stop it, Ken! Please!" the Swan cried in anguish as they entered. "You've done enough…"

"Yeah, let's just leave him alone for a bit." Jinpei suggested weakly.

"I'm sorry, man, but you're getting carried away." Ryu commented.

For a second the Condor thought that the Owl's quiet words might have gotten through to the Eagle. But Gatchaman turned to face them, his eyes burning with rage.

"Don't you all hate Galactor as much as I do?" the Eagle spat, before turning angrily toward the Condor.

"What about you, Joe?" he accused. "We've had the same thing happen to both of us!"

The Condor had a feather shuriken in his mouth, chewing it out of habit to ease some of the tension he felt. He reached up, pulling the weapon out of his mouth to respond.

"Me?" Joe asked. "You want to know how I feel? Like this!" His fingers flickered, tossing the feather shuriken so that it cut off the stem of a rose in a vase situated just above the prisoner's head. The flower fell, the thorn cutting the prisoner's face before falling to the floor. The terrified Galactor slumped along the edge of the wall into unconsciousness.

"But right now, Ken, you're just burning for revenge! That's all you're focused on! You know, seeing you like this is like taking a good, long look in a mirror, and I really don't like what I'm seeing, my friend." Joe purposely kept his voice low, and calm, hoping to get Ken to see reason. "Besides…" He paused, searching for words.

"Besides what?" Ken snapped. "Go ahead!"

"Sorry, but vengeance doesn't really suit you." the Condor declared. It was true. Ken had always been the one to uphold the ideals of fairness and justice. But now, he had gone on some kind of rampage… a rampage without focus or direction, yet one that was still leaving a destructive wake, while the other members of the Science Ninja Team struggled to follow behind.

"I get it." Ken turned away. "None of you like the way I'm handling things. Well I don't care! Because I'm going to find out where their headquarters is!" The Eagle's eyes fell on a fire extinguisher sitting nearby on the floor. He walked slowly over to the large canister, picking it up.

The prisoner stirred, groaning as his eyelids fluttered open.

"What are you going to do with that?" he asked, his voice mocking his captor. This only enraged Ken more. The Eagle knelt down, holding the end of the extinguisher hose directly in front of the Galactor's face.

"Now start talking!" he demanded. "Where is Galactor's Headquarters?" When the prisoner refused to answer, the Eagle's tone only became more enraged.

"Answer me! Where is your Headquarters? Tell me!"

A powerful spray of foam chemicals shot forth from the mouth of the extinguisher, the caustic retardant clearly burning the prisoner's skin, mouth and eyes.

And yet still, he refused to answer.

"Stop it, Ken!" Jun begged. "Please, stop!" But the Eagle ignored her and only turned up the force of the retardant.

"Come on! You'd better start talking, jackass!"

"I'll tell you…" the Galactor gasped. "Please, just stop…"

Joe breathed a sigh of relief. This was bothering him more than he liked to admit to himself. He wasn't shy about his punches, but this… this amounted to torture, and it was beginning to turn his stomach. He was just thankful that the man had broken, so Ken could finally cease this disturbing behavior.

But Gatchaman did not stop. He continued to spray full blast into the man's face, demanding answers.

"Out with it!"

"Inside an iceberg… at the North Pole… I'll take you…"

The extinguisher fell to the floor, and the prisoner slumped against the wall, his reddened skin shining painfully in the light from the hallway. The Galactor's red eyes were streaming, and his lips were bleeding and cracked.

The Condor looked at the Eagle, expecting Ken to be satisfied that he had elicited this information. But the expression on Gatchaman's face was not one of pleasure.

It was one of fury.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It was all they could do to keep Ken from killing the prisoner. Despite the man's promise to lead the Science Ninja team to Galactor's Headquarters, it almost seemed as if the Eagle wanted to murder the man for the sheer pleasure of it. It was a shaken Condor who literally dragged Gatchaman away, instructing the Swallow and the Owl to ensure that the Galactor received appropriate medical care, and to inform the Doctor of what was going on. The Swan stood by helplessly, alternately wringing her hands and approaching the Eagle, only to be rebuffed every time.

By the time they had all assembled in Dr. Nambu's office, things had only gotten worse. Ken was giving everyone the cold shoulder, refusing to speak and glaring angrily at Joe. Jinpei, Jun and Ryu cowered in the corner of the room, while Joe struggled to hold himself together and refrain from belting the Eagle across the face.

The moment Dr. Nambu entered, Ken ran over to the Doctor, his words spilling out as he told Nambu what the prisoner had revealed.

But the Doctor's response was not what Gatchaman had expected either.

"You mustn't go! It has to be a trap! It's too dangerous!"

"Trap or not, it could still be their Headquarters!" Ken shouted petulantly. "We won't know if we don't go!"

"I heard you extracted this information from torture." Nambu accused. "Even Galactor troops are human! I can't let you do something so vile!"

"I did nothing compared to what Galactor does to innocent people every day!" Ken protested. The Eagle might have continued with his ranting, but for the Doctor's hand that smacked his cheek, cutting off his words.

"Silence!" Nambu shouted.

The only sound was the Owl's surprised gasp.

"You have resorted to the same barbarism as Galactor at its worst!" the Doctor lectured.

"If that could restore peace sooner, then what could be wrong with it?" Ken retorted. "I'm going to handle this my way!" The Eagle turned away, walking toward the door. And then, he looked back, as if suddenly remembering that he was actually part of a _Team_.

"The question is, what about you?" he challenged the others. "Science Ninja Team, move out! Come on!"

But no one moved.

Joe, Jun, Jinpei and Ryu turned back to look at Dr. Nambu, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Surely the Doctor wasn't going to let Ken carry on with this madness!

"That's an order, damn it!" Ken screamed in outrage. "Move out!" The Eagle turned and ran out of the room, not looking back to see if anyone followed him.

And still, Nambu refused to act.

What the hell was wrong with the Doctor? Ken had completely lost it, and here Nambu was just standing by and letting him run off into what was clearly a Galactor trap? The Condor's eyes bored into those of his foster father, and finally the Doctor had to lower his gaze.

This had to be stopped. If Dr. Nambu wasn't going to do it, then the Condor was. He nodded at the rest of the Team, and they all ran out of the room.

They had all sworn to follow Ken, wherever he might lead them.

They had just never expected him to lead them to such a hopeless place.

The God Phoenix departed for the North Pole, and the atmosphere aboard the Bridge was strained. Gatchaman knew that his entire Team had nearly mutinied, and he wasn't letting anyone off easy. The air was filled with the Eagle's ranting, and it was difficult for them all to turn a blind eye… and ear… to the words of someone whom they had always respected.

The Condor was just glad that the Galactor prisoner wasn't present, as he had been sedated and locked in the Brig for the journey. Yet clearly the man had to know that something wasn't right with the Eagle, and Joe shuddered to think of what would happen if such information ever reached Berg Katse's ears.

They disembarked the God Phoenix, the now-awakened prisoner leading them across the ice. They had been walking for a few minutes when the Northern Lights appeared in the sky. Despite the tension of the moment, the Swan looked up at the sky, clearly overwhelmed by the awesome spectacle of nature in front of her.

"Oh, look! It's beautiful!" she sighed.

"Wow… I could make some snazzy curtains for the house out of that, man!" Ryu remarked.

"Yeah, let's see you reach it!" Jinpei smirked.

"What are you doing?" Ken snapped. "We didn't come here to play! We've got a job to do!" On most occasions, Joe might have agreed with him, but this time he winced at the Eagle's words. The others had been allowing themselves to escape the tension that had been building since Ken had taken off in the borrowed sports car the previous afternoon, even if only for a moment. Gatchaman, usually so in tune with the emotional state of his teammates, was completely missing their need to throw off the stress of the past few hours.

"Man, calm down!" Jinpei frowned.

"You're scaring me…" Jun whispered.

Joe longed to step in, but the presence of the Galactor held him back. The prisoner had seen enough of their dirty laundry as it was.

"Where could their Headquarters be?" moaned Jinpei. But just as the Swallow had spoken, the Galactor approached an icy boulder, revealing an access pad buried beneath the snow.

One by one, they followed the Galactor into the base, walking in single file down broad, empty metallic corridors. The Condor tensed, constantly expecting an ambush, each second becoming more nerve-wracking as none appeared.

And yet the Eagle continued following the Galactor, moving further and further into the base. The Condor finally had to speak up.

"Hey, wait a second!" he called to the others. "Don't you think it's kind of odd that there's no sign of anyone around?"

"Everyone must be gathered in Lord Katse's office." the Galactor replied, but his manner was still suspicious to Joe.

"Then that's exactly where I want you to take us." Ken ordered the Galactor. "Go!"

Sure enough, the Galactor led them to a large set of doors, around which had been painted a giant Galactor devil's head symbol. The six of them stood outside, waiting for something to happen.

Yet nothing did.

The Condor turned without warning, pointing his gun at the Galactor.

"You go in there before us, wise guy." he ordered.

"All right…" the man reluctantly agreed.

The doors opened, and the Galactor entered the room, the Condor prodding him from behind with his gun. The other ninjas rushed in to the sides.

The massive room beyond the doors was completely empty. There was no furniture inside. The only indication that it was even an 'office' was an incongruous chandelier hanging from the vaulted ceiling. The high walls went up for at least three levels, and the Condor's eyes scanned the catwalk lining the room for snipers.

But there was no sign of anyone else.

"There's nobody here." Ken growled, before running to the middle of the room. The others followed, Joe prodding the Galactor along.

But once they had reached the center, the doors through which they had entered shut. The panels on the walls rose to reveal lines of Galactor soldiers pointing their rifles straight at the Science Ninja Team. On the second level, another panel opened, and Berg Katse emerged, moving out onto the catwalk above them.

"Glad you could make it, Gatchaman!" the Galactor Leader sneered. "We've been waiting for you."

"I lied about this place being our headquarters." the former prisoner laughed nastily. "It's just another base!"

"Damn! How dare you lie to me?" Ken shouted angrily.

"We failed to hear what went on at the international conference," Katse admitted, apparently unaware of the byplay below him, "but we're lucky in that we were able to capture _you_." The Galactor Leader addressed his men.

"Pump them full of lead, guys! Let's see them dead!"

Instantly, the green-uniformed goons began firing, but they were not fast enough to catch the Science Ninja Team. The five ninjas ran from the ambush, dashing through an open doorway…

Only to discover that there was no floor on the other side.

They fell down a long shaft, using their wings to recover and glide to a safe landing. The room they now found themselves in was completely covered with ice.

"How do you like the cool new quarters we whipped up for you, Science Ninja Team?" Katse laughed from the top of the shaft. "What's that? Oh, it's cold? You poor things. Let me turn up the temperature for you! Once it gets hot, you'll be able to do some swimming… or drowning. Isn't Galactor sweet? Well, make yourselves at home."

And then the door at the top of the shaft closed, locking them inside.

A series of heat lamps came on, and the Condor instantly saw what the Galactor Leader had planned. They had to be at the bottom of an iceberg, floating in the Arctic Ocean. And once the ice melted, they'd be trapped in this enclosure with nothing but water.

They had to get out.

But at the moment, all the others wanted to do was give up.

"My tail's being steamed, man!" Jinpei whined. "Help! Someone let us out, man!"

"It's too hot…" Ryu groaned. "Now I know what a pizza feels like!"

"Help! Help!" Jun cried, while banging her fists on the icy walls.

Only Ken and Joe remained in the center of the room, assessing their options. A crack appeared in the side of the wall, and water began rushing inside.

"No!" Ken shouted. "Water! The increase in temperature is making the thinnest areas of ice melt, and letting the seawater in!" The Eagle turned to the Swan.

"Blast open that crack with one of your Yo-Yo Bombs!" he ordered.

"Even if she tried, it wouldn't help us any, Ken!" Joe pointed out. "The ice is at least three meters thick! The most it could possibly do is widen the crack and let more seawater in."

"But we won't know for sure unless we try it!" Ken insisted. "Now, Jun!"

"All right." Jun said reluctantly. She took out her yo-yo.

"I really don't think that's a good idea." Joe commented, and Jun hesitated.

"Throw it!" Ken shouted.

The Swan was galvanized into action. She threw her weapon at the crack, landing it inside and setting off a blast. Chunks of ice flew from the wall, creating a much larger hole. The seawater was now pouring inside of the icy chamber.

"It didn't work!" Jun accused Ken.

"I hate to say 'I told you so'." Joe muttered, turning away.

"What are we going to do, Aniki?" Jinpei demanded angrily. "None of this would have happened it you hadn't forced us to come along! So what now? You've got to do something!"

"Does the idea of dying really bother you that much?" The Eagle rounded angrily on the Swallow.

"It bothers _me_." Joe said harshly. "I don't want to die just because I got caught up in _your_ screwed up life!"

"What?" Ken was furious.

"He's right!" Jinpei chimed in. "You shouldn't drag us down just because you can't handle it!"

"None of you could possibly understand." Ken whined melodramatically. "They killed my father… before I had a chance to know him!"

The Condor's fingers clenched into a fist, and he had to hold himself back from beating some sense into the Eagle. But these violent thoughts were disrupted by the Swan's angry voice.

"Crybaby!" Jun shouted.

"What?" Ken was clearly shocked to hear Jun speaking to him this way.

"My Dad! My Dad!" she mocked in a high-pitched voice. "How long are you going to keep whining like a child? You're not the only one here who lost their parents. Joe did, Jinpei did, and I did too!" The Swan sounded for all the world like she was lecturing the Swallow for irresponsible behavior.

It was just what the Eagle needed to hear.

"Take a good look at Jinpei." Jun went on. "He's at the age where he needs his parents the most, but he's never whined about it once. You're acting like you're the lone hero of some kind of Greek tragedy!"

Ken gasped, approaching Jun in anguished astonishment.

"How can you call yourself the Leader of the Science Ninja Team?" the Swan demanded. "You're just a crybaby! A coward!"

She might have continued berating the Eagle, but at that moment another part of the wall burst open with a thunderous crash. Water was now pouring into the room from two sources.

"More water's rushing in!" Ryu cried anxiously. In blind panic, the Owl began lunging at the ice, throwing his shoulder against the wall. This only caused more ice to tumble off, making their predicament worse.

"The ice is getting weaker!" Ryu announced, terrified. "The walls are going to collapse soon!"

"Can't we do anything?" Jun asked, her anger at Ken now forgotten. "We can't stay like this!"

"Game over man!" Jinpei gibbered. "It'll be the end of the Science Ninja Team!"

"Um… Ken?" Ryu asked nervously, turning to the Eagle in desperation.

"We're the Science Ninja Team." Ken declared calmly. "I know we can do this." It was as if the past two weeks had never happened. _This_ was the Eagle they all knew: strong, proud, thoughtful, decisive, and confident.

This was the man who was the _true_ leader of the Science Ninja Team.

"We've been in situations worse than this before," Ken reminded them, "and we've always found our way out of them somehow, haven't we?"

"Teamwork makes the dream work." Joe smiled, turning around to welcome his friend back to the land of the living.

"Yeah, you're right, Joe!" Jun cried happily. Together, the Swan, the Condor and the Eagle all looked straight up, but it was Gatchaman who voiced what they were all thinking.

"We're going to target that door up there with our Tornado Fighter!" Ken announced.

"Dyno-mite!" the Swallow crowed.

"Hurry it up! The walls are collapsing!" the Eagle ordered.

"Roger!"

Quickly, Joe got into position alongside the Owl, feeling Jun jump lightly onto his shoulders, while Ken did the same to Ryu. Jinpei got into position at the top, and they were ready.

They initiated the Tornado, and the whirling force flew outward, causing the remaining ice to come crashing into the chamber, which was instantly flooded. But it didn't matter, because the Science Ninja Team was high above the rushing waters, the power of their attack tearing through the metal door at the top of the shaft as if it were paper.

The strength of the attack was almost too much to bear. As they broke off the maneuver, Jun, Jinpei and Ryu fell to the floor of Katse's 'office'.

"Everyone, on your feet!" Ken ordered. "There's no time to waste! We've got to find Katse!"

"I'm toast! I don't think I can walk!" Jinpei complained.

"Fine! Then just stay here!" Ken quipped as he ran out of the room. Joe, Jun, and Ryu were following fast behind. The Swallow didn't delay, but quickly joined the rest of the group.

As they were racing to the exit and back to the waiting God Phoenix, the Condor threw a Spike Bomb behind him, embedding it into a nearby wall panel as he would have a feather shuriken. At least, even if this wasn't the true Galactor Headquarters, there would be nothing left behind for Berg Katse to use.

88888

Very little was said on the Bridge as the God Phoenix sped toward the ISO Uranium Storage Facility. They had received an emergency signal from Dr. Nambu when they had returned to their warship, and they only hoped that they weren't already too late. The Eagle wore a determined expression, and on the outside at least, seemed to be back to his old self, before he had ever discovered that his father hadn't died in the Southern Skies fourteen years earlier. The Condor was reluctant to break this new, fragile calm that was emanating from Gatchaman. Perhaps the Swan had finally gotten through to him, after all. It seemed that what the Eagle had needed hadn't been soft understanding, but a swift kick in the pants.

That was a lesson the Condor wasn't likely to forget.

But for now, they were fast approaching the coast of Ameris, and the Crab-Killer mecha came into view.

"What are you waiting for, Joe?" Ken grinned, gesturing at the Bird Missile launching button.

"You don't need to ask me twice." Joe laughed, retracting the clear cover over the red button and immediately firing four Bird Missiles toward the top of the Galactor craft.

"They've sustained some damage, but not enough!" the Swan reported, even as the next volley was deflected by Crab-Killer's shell.

"Aim at its belly!" the Eagle ordered. "Hit the Crab-Killer from below!"

The Owl obediently dove down, but had to retreat when Crab-Killer used some kind of beam attack. Based on past experience, they all knew that whatever the beam did, it couldn't be good for the God Phoenix. Before they could blink, Crab-Killer's six legs had turned into massive rockets, all of which were launched at their position.

The Owl neatly avoided the projectiles, and the Condor grinned wickedly.

"That's their entire arsenal!" he declared. "I think it's time for some payback." He moved to fire again, and this time, the God Phoenix was in the proper position. Four more Bird Missiles shot forth from the red and blue warship, detonating on the bottom of the Crab-Killer mecha, causing extensive damage. The Galactor craft began plummeting out of the sky, toward the ocean waters below, orange-red flames and inky smoke trailing behind it.

But Gatchaman wasn't satisfied yet.

"Now's our chance!" Ken declared, and Joe wasn't one to refuse such an invitation. Yet another volley of Bird Missiles was sent to meet Crab-Killer, these ones exponentially increasing the amount of damage that had been done by the previous round. A final set now damaged the upper shell of the ridiculous mecha.

But the most obvious sign that they had won was the sight of Berg Katse's escape pod taking off into the sky. The Galactor Leader always knew when the going was good, and this was proof positive that they were victorious.

The Eagle had returned, and that had made all of the difference.

But as it turned out, they weren't out of the woods yet. Chunks of flaming metal debris from the Crab-Killer rained down onto the God Phoenix, smashing into the nose of the warship and slicing off the G-4 Bay. With the damage to its wings, the God Phoenix had trouble flying, but the Owl's excellent piloting skills landed them safely on the ocean's surface. Together, the five members of the Science Ninja Team rose up on the elevation platform, the trail of Berg Katse's escape pod visible in the sky above them.

Today, their fight had been only a battle. But all of them were determined to win this war.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"What do you know about Owashi no Ken?"

Kentaro's head snapped up, away from the reports he had been reviewing. The goon next to him was startled by the unexpected gesture.

"Is everything all right, Captain?"

"I need a moment." Kentaro replied, waving the man away. The soldier took his reports and scurried from the room. Agent Black, now Captain Black, already had a reputation for being quick to anger.

"Sosai!" Kentaro reached out with his mind once the man was gone. "It has been some time since I heard from you…"

"Answer the question. What do you know about Owashi no Ken?"

"I know that he is the Leader of the Science Ninja Team. I have worked with him, as Red Impulse. In that role, he trusted me." Kentaro did his best to quash his sudden nervousness. What had Sosai discovered about his relationship to Ken? Whatever happened, the Captain had to keep the truth from his Master for as long as possible.

"Is he prone to violence? Fits of anger?"

"Ken? No, not at all! If anything, he's too placid…"

"That is not what recent reports are telling us."

"What reports?"

"A Galactor captain was recently held prisoner by the Science Ninja Team. He escaped, and was debriefed by Katse. He claimed that Owashi no Ken was out of control, torturing his prisoner using methods usually disallowed by the UN."

"That doesn't sound like Ken…"

Kentaro was confused. He had tried to raise such emotions in his son on more than one occasion, and had failed. The boy was too even-tempered. If anything, it was the Condor who was prone to violence. What could make Ken suddenly…?

_His father._

Kentaro mentally smacked himself in the head. Ken had on occasion gone off all half-cocked, but he had never been one for torture. The only thing that could have made him so angry had to be his one obsession… the obsession that had caused him to abandon his beloved Science Ninja Team and remain out of contact for days: his father.

Ken was out of control, because he believed his father was dead!

Images of that fateful day ran through Kentaro's mind. Ken, lying on the floor, his arms outstretched, begging Red Impulse to return, crying in that pitiful voice, heedless of his subordinates witnessing the entire affair…

The boy had become completely unhinged.

"Apparently, the other members of the Science Ninja Team were distressed by his behavior. They were pleading with him to cease, but in the end, followed his lead when he commanded them. I want to know if this is the kind of opposition Galactor can expect in the future."

"Kozaburo Nambu would be distressed by such behavior. He will do everything in his power to return Owashi no Ken to the mild-mannered leader he was before. If it is possible, Nambu will accomplish it."

"You are certain?"

"As much as I can be, having no contact with any of them."

"That is helpful."

It was the closest the alien entity would come to saying 'thank you'. Kentaro breathed a sigh of relief. His deception had not been uncovered. Sosai was still unaware of his true relationship with Ken. Such a thing would never be forgiven, and the Captain was walking on thin ice as it was.

"Was the Crab-Killer's mission successful?" Kentaro asked, hastily changing the subject. "Was Galactor able to acquire sufficient uranium resources?"

"Yes." Sosai replied. "The information you gave to me was correct. The UN storage facilities were full of raw ore, and apparently too distant from the current location of the Crescent Coral Base to allow the Science Ninja Team to respond before we had completed our attack. Unfortunately, we were unable to acquire the uranium at the ISO's storage facilities in Ameris, as the Crab-Killer was destroyed there by the God Phoenix. And there are the newly discovered Indrian deposits. But as you had suggested, these were our last targets. All other UN controlled uranium supplies have been re-allocated for the use of Galactor."

"That is good to hear, Sosai." Kentaro bowed low. He smirked to himself. So Katse had lost another mecha! Perhaps it was time for the Captain to offer his services.

"I have an idea for acquiring positronium resources." Kentaro said slyly. "Such materials would enhance Galactor's position greatly."

"The Black Hole Operation requires large amounts of positronium for completion." Sosai mused. Kentaro smiled. He had known this small fact, based on previous discussions with the project designers. This operation was Sosai's newest endeavor, and now that the V2 Plan had fallen through, the Black Hole Operation was the current focus for the alien entity.

"What did you have in mind?" Sosai asked.

"As you know, the world's largest producer of positronium is Australis." the Captain began. "The Blue Mountains are the primary source of positronium for the entire planet. A quick and unexpected strike at that one location is very likely to be successful, particularly if it is done rapidly: before the ISO is able to get the Science Ninja Team to that location."

"And how do you propose to move so quickly?" the alien entity wanted to know.

"Simple." Kentaro smiled. "We build the mecha that performs the extraction right next to its target location. By the time the operation begins, we will already be in place, giving the Science Ninja Team much less time to respond."

"That is an interesting idea," the alien entity admitted, "but Galactor does not have any mecha-building facilities in that area. Ghost Island's schedule is completely full. Other than that we are limited to the Sri Lankan base and Cross Karakorum."

"We don't _need_ a mecha construction base." the Captain gloated as he outlined the best part of his plan. "I propose to build a mecha in the middle of the city of Sydney, merely one hundred kilometers from the positronium mining operations in the Blue Mountains."

"Really?" Sosai sounded pleased with the idea. "This appears to be most interesting. Please elaborate…"

88888

Another free evening, another night spent at the Snack J. It had been only a month since the death of Red Impulse, and in a way, it was almost as if the events surrounding Galactor's V2 Plan had never happened. Life had gone back to the usual 'routine' of occasional missions with a few days off in between, and the Condor had even found time to relax and enter a few local races, on occasion.

But best of all, Ken was back to normal too.

Perhaps there were a few changes. Perhaps the Eagle had become a little more battle-hardened. Perhaps he was a little more ready to follow his gut than stick to the rote procedures that drove the Condor mad. And perhaps he exhibited a little more determination to win this war with Galactor.

None of this was a problem for Joe.

Yet, Ken's new outlook on life was having an impact on Jun. Joe could see the strain in her face every time she spoke to Ken, only to be met with a distant friendliness, or a disinterested gaze. The Swan's heart clearly belonged to the Eagle, and yet it seemed that Ken was as indifferent to this fact as he had always been, despite the emotions he had evinced when Jun had been taken by the Jigokillers.

"What's up with you, Ken?" Joe asked one night, as Jun retreated into the kitchen, a hurt expression on her face. "I thought that by now, you and Jun would be…"

"There's nothing going on between me and Jun." Ken said abruptly.

"There is for _her_." Ryu pointed out, as he joined in on the conversation. "She's nuts about you, Ken. Why don't you ask her out?"

"It's not a good idea." Ken replied flatly, looking down into his drink.

"Says who?" Joe scoffed. "I think it's a great idea!"

"Me too!" the Owl added.

"Hakase doesn't." Ken mumbled, before taking a long pull from his bottle of beer.

"What?" Joe exclaimed. "What does Hakase have to do with it? It's none of his business!"

"It _is_ his business, if it affects the Team." Ken spat. "When Hakase made me G1, he told me that I was never to get 'involved' with Jun. That too close a relationship between us would prevent me from thinking clearly on missions, and from making command decisions."

"That's total bull!" Ryu exploded.

"_You're_ the one who should be making decisions like that." Joe argued. "Hakase has no right to dictate your personal feelings to you!"

"But don't you see, Joe?" Ken threw up his hands in the air, exasperated. "Hakase _does_ have the right! Even more, he _is_ right."

"What do you mean, 'he's right'?" Ryu asked, confused.

"After our last mission, with that giant Gorilla mecha," Ken bowed his head, "there was a guy who was checking out Jun, in the relief shelter where she was helping out with the survivors. He wanted to make a move on her, but I stopped him."

"So?" Joe asked, perplexed.

"I was so… angry…" Ken admitted. "I had just figured out how to contain my anger about my father, and now it was coming back in a new way. I wanted to _kill_ him. It scared me…"

Joe and Ryu did not know how to respond to this revelation, and their eyes met over the Eagle's bent head, their mutual confusion evident upon their faces.

"I was able to hide it." Ken said, after a long moment. "He didn't see how I felt, but for me to have those kinds of emotions… Don't you see how much _worse_ it would be if Jun and I were _actually_ together?"

"Ken, I don't think…" Ryu began, but he was interrupted by the sound of the kitchen door opening. Jun came out and moved over toward their position.

"Last call, gentlemen." she smiled warmly. "I'm closing up."

"Nothing for me, thanks." Joe said, digging in his pocket for cash to pay for his beer.

It was only when he looked up again that the Condor realized that the Eagle was gone.

88888

"It's nearly four in the morning!" Jinpei complained. "Why does Galactor have to attack now?"

"It's nearly two in the morning in Haliford." Jun lectured the Swallow. "Imagine how those people feel, being woken out of their beds by an approaching Galactor mecha!"

"Jun is right." Ken said grimly. "We don't punch a clock. We have to be ready to go into action at any time, Jinpei."

"Tell that to Onechan!" Jinpei whined. "She makes me work regular hours at the J…"

"And _she_ doesn't?" Joe turned on the boy. "Just shut up, Jinpei, and let us deal with this new mecha!"

The Swallow cringed, turning back in his seat to escape the Condor's glare. Satisfied, Joe winked at the Swan, who grinned back at him, mouthing her thanks.

"Approaching Haliford." Ryu announced, and all eyes turned to the viewscreen.

Even though it was pitch black outside, the nightvision sensors on the God Phoenix made it seem as clear as a sunny day. The five ninjas could see the citizens of Haliford fleeing their once peaceful seaside town, as a massive mecha took its time destroying the waterfront area.

"What the hell is that?" Joe exclaimed, his eyes goggling at the sight of the mecha.

"It's Gezora!" Ryu shouted, looking at the mecha's head.

"But that's the Turtle King's body." Ken observed.

"And those wings remind me of Ibukuron." Jun mused.

"I remember those arms on Kamisoral!" Jinpei added.

"What kind of junkyard mecha is this?" Joe shook his head in disgust. "It's like Galactor's not even trying anymore." The legs reminded the Condor of the Gorilla mecha the Science Ninja Team had fought just the previous week. How many other old mecha parts had been thrown into this thing?

"Trying or not, we need to destroy that mecha before it hurts any more innocent civilians." Ken announced. "Ryu, come around and approach it from behind."

"And don't forget to avoid those Kamisoral claws!" reminded Jinpei.

The God Phoenix circled the mecha, distracting it from its destruction of the town and waiting to see what kind of attack it would launch at them. As the Swallow had suggested, the Owl kept the red and blue warship clear of the mecha's claws. The Galactor craft attempted to grab the God Phoenix with a clumsy maneuver, which Ryu easily avoided.

"Okay, Joe, send it a Bird." Ken instructed.

"Ready, willing, and able." Joe smirked, retracting the clear cover and pressing the familiar red button on his console.

A Bird Missile streaked out from the God Phoenix, landing in perfect position between Gezora's eyes. Fire and smoke billowed out, but when things cleared, it was only to see that the powerful explosives hadn't even dented the mecha.

"That's the second time this has happened!" Joe ranted. "Hakase's got to give us something more powerful! We can't fight Galactor with a bunch of second-rate armaments!"

"Whatever the case, we don't have better armaments right now." Ken said calmly. "We'll just use the Science Ninja Technique: Firebird."

Joe grunted his acknowledgement, then sat back in his chair, folding his arms under his wings in preparation for enduring the Firebird.

"Hey, it's running away!" Jinpei exclaimed, pointing toward the viewscreen.

It was true. The mecha had turned around and was walking back into the ocean. However, due to its unwieldy legs (which really did look suspiciously like the legs of the Gorilla mecha) it wasn't moving very fast.

"Why is it running away?" Ryu asked. "We didn't damage it with the Bird Missile."

"They must have already gotten what they came for." Jun hypothesized.

"Whatever it is, we can't let them return to their base with it!" Ken exclaimed, pushing the levers in front of his seat forward. "Science Ninja Technique: Firebird!"

The familiar yellow-orange light filled the Bridge, and the Condor squeezed his eyes shut to prevent himself from being temporarily blinded. He grimaced as he felt the pain of the fiery transformation overtake him. He felt, rather than saw, the God Phoenix tear through the mecha, sensing the force and impact. The light beyond his eyelids dimmed, and as he focused on the viewscreen Joe saw what remained of the mecha in front of them. The God Phoenix had gone through the giant Ibukuron wings on the back of the mecha, leaving behind a large hole, exposing the interior of the Galactor craft.

"This is too good an opportunity to waste." the Condor smirked, pressing the red firing button in front of him. A Bird Missile shot out from the God Phoenix and through the hole in the mecha's hull, causing a massive explosion from the inside of the damaged craft.

The mecha exploded, raining fiery chunks of metal debris into the ocean. The God Phoenix remained on the scene until UN naval vessels had arrived, then departed for home.

88888

"Fuck!" Joe shouted, slamming his fist into the wall. "Damn that Berg Katse! I'd like to crush the life from his throat with my bare hands!"

"Joe?" That soft voice could only belong to the Swan. The Condor turned around, his eyes blazing.

"You just ran out of the debriefing." Jun said quietly. "I wanted to make sure you were okay." The Swan's eyes fell on the large dent in the wall where the Condor's fist still sat.

"I guess you're _not_ okay." she observed wryly.

"No, I'm not okay!" Joe shouted. "It's that damn Katse! He keeps winning, and I just can't take it anymore! First, he nearly destroys the planet with his damned V2 Plan, and then a couple of days ago he obliterated a major ISO research installation with that ridiculous Gorilla mecha, and now we learn that the pathetic mecha we woke up at four am to destroy was probably only a decoy, so that Katse could grab the entire stock of uranium ore from the Indrian mining operations on the other side of the world!"

The Condor pulled his arm back, ready to launch another earth-shattering blow against the defenseless wall.

"Stop, Joe!" Jun cried, grabbing onto his upper arm. "Is this_ really_ the answer?"

"No." Joe growled, refusing to look at Jun. "But until I find one, this is sure going to make _me_ feel better!"

"Then let me give you an answer." Jun pleaded. "At least let me try."

Joe's head turned, and his stormy gray eyes met the beseeching emerald ones of the Swan. The tension in his arm relaxed, ever so slightly, and he realized that she had won. Joe pulled his arm away in a disgruntled fashion; giving in, but with little grace.

"All right." the Condor said, dropping down into a nearby chair. "What's your answer, then?"

"We need to outthink Katse." Jun reply.

"That's _it_? Outthink Katse?" Joe snorted sarcastically. "Oh, well, _that's_ easy. I'll just start thinking, then. Too bad I haven't been thinking all along!"

"You don't have to be so nasty about it, Joe." Jun lectured, her hands on her hips. "But we _do_ have to start doing a better job anticipating Katse's moves, and guessing what he might be planning next. In fact, I think Ken and Hakase are going over some of that kind of data right now."

"So you're saying I should just sit back and wait for them to come up with something?" Joe asked disgustedly.

"Well, if you want to deal with stress, I think there are a lot better ways of accomplishing that." the Swan said. "For example, I was going to go for a drive on my motorcycle. That always helps me clear _my_ head."

Joe closed his eyes, imagining the feel of the road in his grip on the steering wheel or the pedal under his foot. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Damn it, she was right.

"You know, I've got an extra helmet…" Jun said quietly. Joe looked up at her.

"Sounds like a good fit."

88888

Two hours later, the two ninjas were sitting on the shore, staring out at the ocean. The day was bright, sunny and peaceful, and despite his frustrations regarding their recent encounters with Galactor, the Condor felt himself relaxing.

"Thanks."

He didn't need to say any more. The answering beam from Jun's face told him that his thoughts had been understood.

"I miss this place." the Swan admitted, looking out over the clear blue ocean waters. "I used to come here all of the time, with Koji, and somehow, it never feels right to be here by myself." She turned back to look at the Condor.

"But today, it felt right to bring you here, Joe." she said quietly.

The Condor did not know how to respond, so he seized upon the first thing he could think of.

"Koji?" Joe asked, searching his memories. "Who's he?"

"A friend." Jun sighed. "Back when we were first assigned our ranks, and you were sulking that you weren't named G1…" The Swan's story was interrupted by a peal of laughter forming from her soft pink mouth, as she regarded her companion's sour face.

"You thought you'd hidden it?" she giggled at the Condor. "Oh, Joe! Everyone knew. But we understood, which was why we left you alone, to have the time to work it out for yourself."

"You were telling me about Koji." Joe reminded her in a strained voice.

"Oh, yes." Jun grinned understandingly. "Well, Ken was busy with all of these private conferences with Hakase, and you were off brooding, and Jinpei and Ryu were always going off together, so I began hanging out at the motorcycle races, and that's where I met Koji. We hung out for a few months, before our training schedule was stepped up again. And once I opened the Snack, there wasn't really any time left for motorcycle races."

"So..." Joe struggled with the question he wanted to ask. "You and Koji were… close?"

"We were friends." Jun said, her eyebrow rising as she contemplated the Condor. "He was interested in more, but I just couldn't… you know…" The Swan's cheeks flamed and she hid her face behind her hair.

"It almost felt like…" she whispered so softly that Joe could barely hear the words, "cheating…"

"Is he worth it?"

There was a shocked silence between them for a moment as Jun realized what Joe was asking, and Joe realized that he had actually spoken his thought aloud.

"Yes." Jun said quietly, after a long time. "Ken is worth it, Joe. He deserves someone special, someone…" The Swan's voice, which had been calm and thoughtful, suddenly choked off with a gasp as comprehension dawned in her emerald eyes. The only problem was, the Condor had no idea what she had just discovered.

"Ken is worth it." Jun said, turning away. "_But I'm not_."

"Don't be stupid." Joe replied. "Jun, you're worth…"

"Just leave me alone, Joe."

Jun's voice was tight and tearful, and the Condor was reluctant to do as she had asked. But the tense, rigid lines of her body screamed louder than words that she had meant what she had said.

Joe sighed, slowly standing up and walking toward the water. He remained far enough away from Jun to give her some space, but close enough to keep an eye on her.

The Swan stared blankly out at the ocean for a long time. Eventually she sighed, getting to her feet and brushing the sand from her jeans.

"I think we should go, Joe." she called.

"I'm ready if you are." the Condor said, his eyes searching the Swan's face as she approached.

"I _am_ ready." Jun said quietly, her gaze meeting his. "Thanks, Joe."

"Anytime, Jun."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"The mecha is complete, Sosai." Kentaro reported, smiling broadly. "The civilians who pass through the gates of Sydney's Luna Park each day have no idea that housed within is a cutting-edge Galactor craft, capable of their instant destruction."

"Excellent." Sosai replied. "Berg Katse was able to procure a significant amount of uranium for me with his latest undertaking, and the positronium I expect you to acquire will speed the progression of the Black Hole Operation."

"I am eager to assist you in this matter, Sosai." Kentaro said, bowing deeply as the alien entity departed his mind. He was nearly dancing with excitement. Berg Katse could acquire all of the uranium in the world, but it was Kentaro Washio's positronium that Sosai truly desired.

The following morning, Kentaro marched proudly onto the bridge of Lunagron, ready to take his mecha to the Blue Mountains, to acquire every last kilogram of positronium the mining operations there had to offer.

"Initiate departure sequence." he ordered the green-uniformed men at Lunagron's controls. "Once we are out of Luna Park, we will need to get to the Blue Mountains as quickly as possible."

"Yes, Captain!" the goons replied. Their manner was respectful. Over the past month, Captain Black had been cultivating the loyalty of the men who had been assigned to him. Already the rumors were spreading that he was a much more reasonable, understanding, and likable superior than Berg Katse had ever been. Who knew when such a reputation among Galactor's troops might come in handy?

Lunagron rose up from the ground. Its skull had been built inside of a massive clown head, which served as the gateway to Sydney's Luna Park: an amusement venue on the city's harbor for families of all ages. It had been Kentaro's idea to build the mecha underground, using the clown head, which had been a local landmark for decades, to disguise their activities. Now, the stark white face with red lips and sharp teeth thrust up from the ground, smiling malevolently and revealing a metal skeleton beneath, piloted by the Galactor's finest. The clown's blue eyes, usually bright and happy, now appeared creepy and menacing, glaring gleefully down at the terrified children of Sydney, who were scrambling to get out of the way of its massive feet. For good measure, Kentaro ordered his men to have Lunagron step on a few of the park's most popular rides. All the better to put the fear of Galactor into the populace.

Within five minutes they had emerged, clearing the city limits, and they were on their way to the planet's primary positronium mining operation.

88888

"What the…?"

The Condor's head shot up as he was dragged forcibly out of his sleeping state by the incessant beeping noise emanating from his wrist. He jerked his eyes around the room, taking in the unfamiliar location.

As it turned out, it wasn't so unfamiliar after all. Joe was sitting at a table in one of the Snack J's booths, where he had fallen asleep a couple of hours before. The Joint was dark. Clearly Jun had left him there when she had closed up for the night. The Condor's head pounded like a drum, and his mouth felt as if it was stuffed full of cotton wool. Now he remembered why he had fallen asleep at the Snack J in the first place.

"Joe, come on!" Jun shouted, rushing into the restaurant from her living quarters upstairs, Jinpei close on her heels. "Didn't you hear your bracelet? Why didn't you respond?"

The Condor mumbled a response that even he could not understand as he dragged himself sleepily to his feet.

"Are you okay to drive, Joe?" Jun asked, pushing him out the door with her before running to the garage where her motorcycle and Jinpei's buggy were housed.

"Yeah." Joe granted, getting into his car. Somehow the concern in the Swan's voice had pushed all of his weariness aside. "I'll be fine, Jun. Thanks."

"Okay." Jun smiled, as she headed into the garage. "See you on the God Phoenix."

Joe's started his ignition, then radioed his location to Ryu, who was bringing in the God Phoenix to join up with the Science Ninja Team's individual mecha. Once he was clear of downtown Utoland, the Condor transformed with his vehicle, just in time to meet his scheduled pickup with the Owl.

When he arrived on the Bridge of the God Phoenix, the Swan and the Swallow were already there. Ken boarded less than a minute later.

The Eagle strode across the Bridge, reaching his seat just as the image of Dr. Nambu appeared on the communications screen.

"There are reports of a Galactor mecha moving through the city of Sydney, in Australis, and into the interior of the country. We suspect their target is the positronium mining operation located close to that area in the Blue Mountains. You must intercept them." the Doctor ordered.

"We're on our way, Hakase." the Eagle replied.

Unfortunately, Australis was nearly halfway around the world from Utoland, and despite the God Phoenix's powerful engines, the trip took some time. The Condor found himself drifting off, and dimly he noted that he was not the only one. Still, they were the Science Ninja Team, and they would all be ready and alert when the time came to do their duty.

But that time was not now.

Less than half way to Australis, Dr. Nambu contacted the God Phoenix again, ordering it to return to the Crescent Coral Base. The Galactor mecha had already raided the Australis positronium mining facility, and departed with the spoils of its mission.

They had been too late.

If he had had the energy, Joe would have pounded the walls in frustration. Berg Katse had gotten one up on them yet again.

This was getting to be a bad habit.

88888

Captain Black practically swaggered as he walked down the hall. He had achieved an amazing success with Lunagron. He had surprised and terrified the people of Sydney, and then easily reached the positronium mining facilities, where he and his men had picked up large quantities of the valuable resource. The volume of material had been somewhat less than Kentaro had expected, but still quite a coup for him. He had designed, built, and operated this mecha all on his own, with no interference whatsoever from Berg Katse. Surely this was the kind of thing that would prove his worth in Sosai's eyes.

It had to be so! Even now, he was walking through secret corridors at Cross Karokorum, those usually reserved for Berg Katse alone, on his way to visit his Master in person, for the first time since his mind had encountered the alien entity's presence. Kentaro's pleasure in his achievements paled in comparison to the sheer joy he felt with the anticipation of this meeting.

As he approached the double doors at the end of the hallway, Kentaro politely called out with his mind.

"Sosai, I am here."

"Enter."

Kentaro pushed open the doors slowly, doing his best to restrain his wandering eyes that were eager to take in every small detail of this, Sosai's personal audience chamber.

The room lacked furniture; only a cold, metal floor lay before him. Computer panels lined the sides of the room, and at the far end was a giant oval, rimmed by a thick layer of black. It appeared to be in the shape of an eye. Rectangles of white light were arranged within the blackness, framing a large circle in the center, forming a kind of 'pupil' for the 'eye'. The circle was filled with orange-yellow flames, but they didn't appear to be natural.

He was in Sosai's presence.

Overcome with elation, Kentaro fell to his knees, prostrating himself before the eye.

"I am yours to command, Sosai!"

The room remained silent and dark, illuminated only by the white lights and flickering flames of the eye.

A sliver of blue appeared in the center of the flames, quickly lengthening and shaping itself into the form of an oval. And then, from out of the fathomless depths of that blue shape, a face took form.

It was like nothing Kentaro could ever have imagined. Here, in this place, bathing in the glories of Sosai's ethereal light, his master's alien nature was overwhelmingly clear, yet at the same time opaque, hinting of incredible secrets that were not for mere human minds to know.

He was not worthy.

But oh, how he longed to be so!

The face appeared to gaze down at him, yet also be observing everything else within its reach. A sense of omnipresence accompanied the alien, even as it spoke to its servant.

"I am pleased with you, Kentaro Washio."

Kentaro could hardly bring himself to rise, his trembling body betraying him at this moment of pure joy. A tear fell from his eye as he raised his head to gaze in full upon the visage of his Master.

"I live only to serve you, Sosai."

"You have managed to procure a great deal of valuable resources for Galactor, and have done so without losing any troops, or even damaging the mecha you designed." Sosai spoke in a cold, detached voice, as if his servant's emotional response to his alien Master's presence was beyond his notice. "However, you failed to acquire all that you could; all that I require."

"But Sosai," Kentaro's anguished voice pleaded, "I recovered all of the positronium at the Blue Mountain Facility!"

"Yes." the alien entity acknowledged. "However, you did not acquire the positronium that had already been transferred from that mining operation to the ISO Storage Facilities in Ameris."

"More positronium?" The Captain's mind whirled. No wonder the quantity of the resource they had recovered had been less than expected!

"Yes." Sosai replied. "I now have need of you, and your mecha, once more. You must go to this ISO Facility and recover the remaining positronium. I understand that the amount you acquired in the Blue Mountains is but a fifth of that presently located in Ameris."

A fifth! Kentaro attempted to imagine five times the quantity of positronium they had extracted from the Blue Mountain Operation and found his mind boggling at the thought. For Galactor to have that kind of power at its disposal, and to deny that same advantage to the ISO… He immediately understood the importance of this mission.

"It will be done, Sosai!" Captain Black declared. "I will begin planning this operation immediately. In a week…"

"A week is too long. I need these resources much sooner than that."

"But Sosai, without proper planning, the extraction of these resources from the ISO Storage Facilities may not succeed…"

"Perhaps this is true, with someone like _you_ in charge." Sosai replied. "I have noticed that while your projects are effective, you tend to be tediously slow in achieving your objectives. In this area, you have much to learn from Berg Katse."

"Katse?" Kentaro sputtered, hardly able to believe what he was hearing. Sosai was comparing him unfavorably to _Katse_? Even after Lunagron's success?

"Yes." the alien entity smirked. "Katse will accompany you on your mission to obtain the remaining positronium _tomorrow_. He will listen to your counsel, but as Lord of Galactor, he will be in charge of this operation."

The Captain bit his tongue so hard he nearly tasted blood. Berg Katse was to be in charge of Lunagron? Kentaro had put his heart and soul into that mecha, using it to demonstrate his abilities to Sosai! And now, it was to be handed over without a care to that purple mutant?

"Sosai, these are _my_ men. Perhaps it might be better if Berg Katse came along simply as an observer."

"No." Sosai snapped. "That would undermine Katse's position, and I cannot allow that to happen. Katse will be in charge. You will accompany him to take care of the more mundane matters of mecha operation."

"Yes, Sosai." Kentaro replied, his heart sinking. He had to do something about this. Berg Katse had to care about the success of the mission. Perhaps he could be reasoned with?

But deep down, Kentaro knew that the Lord of Galactor would never listen to reason coming from Captain Black.

88888

"Well, it actually looks as if this hideous mecha was good for something." Berg Katse sniffed as he strolled into Lunagron's Control Room the following morning. Captain Black's pride and joy had been relocated overnight to the Ghost Island Mecha Factory, while the Captain himself remained awake, losing sleep in order to attempt to formulate a strategy of attack on the ISO Storage Facilities. If he had a plan, then perhaps he could take control of this operation away from Berg Katse…

But even as he had toiled, Kentaro had known that his efforts were futile. The self-absorbed incompetent who was currently in charge of Galactor would never listen to a 'subordinate'.

They were doomed to failure.

Still, the Captain had to try. It was _his_ mecha, and _his_ reputation with Sosai, on the line. And in all of his frantic inadequate preparation, there was one fact that had leaped out at him.

The ISO Storage Facilities were only two hundred kilometers away from Utoland.

This would have to be handled with the utmost delicacy. The Science Ninja Team was based in Utoland. If the God Phoenix faced down Lunagron, a positive outcome for Galactor was far from certain. Captain Black was confident in his mecha, not to mention unimpressed with the abilities of his son, yet he knew Gatchaman's record for success, and that could not be ignored.

And neither could Berg Katse's record of failure.

Kentaro sighed to himself as the Lord of Galactor entered the Bridge. All of the men leapt to their feet, giving the standard salute and shout of 'Sire!' as the purple mutant passed. Kentaro found himself forced to participate in this ludicrous ritual. He was glad for the mask of his uniform, which hid his face from view. The Captain was also grateful that he had chosen a uniform nearly identical to the standard Galactor uniform, save for the color. There was a small hope that his lack of the usual ridiculous mecha Captain attire would place him beneath Katse's scrutiny.

"It's amazing that this scrapheap was able to pull off the Australis haul." Katse yawned, sinking into the command chair and snapping his fingers at a nearby goon. "Get me some wine." he ordered. The goon ran off immediately. Kentaro knew that the man would have a difficult time meeting the Galactor Leader's request. Captain Black had standing orders that no alcohol was to be brought onboard his mecha, and Lunagron was already underway.

Kentaro moved over to stand by the command chair… _his_ chair… that Berg Katse now occupied. He remained behind the Galactor Leader, not out of respect, but to avoid his notice. He would be able to better run this operation without Katse's interference.

But of course, that wasn't possible.

"Where is this damned Captain Black I've been hearing so much about?" Katse demanded petulantly. "Isn't he even here?"

"I'm here, Katse." Kentaro sighed, stepping forward into the purple mutant's view. "I was simply occupied monitoring…

"You will address me as 'Sire' or '_Lord_ Katse'!" the Galactor Leader screeched. "I will not stand for this disrespect!"

Kentaro did not verbally respond, but he looked pointedly at the chair in which Berg Katse was sitting. His response was as good as spoken aloud.

"Yes, Lord Katse." he replied, after a long pause. His tone was almost mocking, rather than respectful, but there was nothing for the Galactor Leader to officially complain about to Sosai.

"You think a lot of yourself, don't you, Captain Black?" Katse sneered, pulling himself to his feet and doing his best to tower over his rival. Unfortunately for the Galactor Leader, it didn't work, as Kentaro was nearly as tall as his nemesis. "But in reality, you're just an ignorant, sniveling wretch who simply got lucky on his last mission."

"Lunagron's success on her mission was due to careful planning and strategy." Kentaro replied calmly. "We were able to avoid any serious resistance, and prevent damage to the mecha, or loss of men. I would like to see the same results on this mission."

"Pish posh!" Katse waved his hand condescendingly, laughing in the Captain's face as he walked away with forced casualness. "Damages and lost troops are simply par for the course, Captain Black. You must expect these things to happen."

The Galactor Leader turned away, but as he did so, Kentaro heard the man muttering to himself.

"Even if Sosai doesn't."

The Captain had to choke down his grin. Sosai _had_ been impressed with Lunagron's results! He had sent Katse on this mission as a learning exercise! Clearly Captain Black's success was sour grapes to Berg Katse. The man might not have been very intelligent, but he was shrewd enough to see a threat when one approached.

And Kentaro Washio was indeed the ultimate threat to Berg Katse.

"What's this?" Katse screeched suddenly. "Why are we taking such an inconvenient route? Sosai wants the positronium _today_! We need to alter our course!"

"We are taking a circuitous route to avoid the city of Utoland." the Captain replied calmly. "It is well known that the Science Ninja Team operates from that area."

"That has yet to be proven." sniffed Katse, his nose in the air. "This is wasting our time, and Sosai's time. We need to proceed this way." The Galactor Leader turned, and began giving rapid-fire instructions to the goon seated at the navigation station.

Kentaro seethed. If they encountered the God Phoenix… Of course, he could always blame everything on Katse. But somehow that purple mutant always seemed to escape the blame that Sosai laid at Kentaro's feet.

He simply had to do whatever he could to prevent this mission from failing.

88888

He shouldn't have come to the Snack J.

When Dr. Nambu had informed them of Galactor's new Clown Mecha, and how it had risen up out of Sydney's Luna Park to attack the Australis Positronium mines, the Condor had been angry. Galactor had managed to slip past their noses again, stealing resources before the Science Ninja Team had been able to respond. Now they could only sit around, waiting for another attack. And if Berg Katse truly was getting smarter, he wouldn't attack again until he could be sure to do it quickly, avoiding a confrontation with the God Phoenix.

The only good news in all of this had been that Galactor hadn't actually been able to steal that much positronium. The Australis mines had recently shipped their supplies of positronium to an ISO storage facility, approximately 200 miles east of Utoland. The majority of the valuable resource was halfway around the globe from where Galactor had struck with their latest mecha.

Would they strike again?

Anticipating the tense boredom and frustration that accompanied such a wait, Joe had decided to endure this torture at the Snack J, hoping for a chance to relax. Instead, he had only found the usual: Jun mooning over a reluctant Ken.

"Come on, Ken, let's go to the movies!" Jun begged prettily, tugging on the Eagle's arm.

"We're on alert, Jun." Ken scowled.

"That doesn't mean that we have to sit here, moping." Jun pointed out. "Maybe we could watch a movie here, instead?"

"Maybe." Ken grunted, clearly looking for a way to end the conversation. Yet Jun did not appear to notice his attitude, and took his vaguely non-negative response as permission to proceed with whatever plans she had in mind.

"I can get it set up, Ken!" she said, leaping up from the barstool on which she had been sitting and running upstairs.

"That sounds like a great idea!" Jinpei cheered. "A movie will take our minds off of waiting…"

The Condor instantly saw the Swan's plans ending in disaster, once the Swallow had intervened.

"We're not watching, Squirt." he informed the boy. "You're coming on a drive with me. _Remember_?"

"I don't remember that…" Jinpei protested, but he squealed loudly when Joe smacked him hard on the back. "Oh yeah… _that_ drive…" the Swallow moaned, rubbing his sore skin.

"Have fun, Ken." Joe said meaningfully, as he dragged Jinpei out of the bar. A flicker of amusement passed through the Condor as he saw the sudden look of panic on the Eagle's face. It served Ken right, ignoring Jun all of this time.

But now, he was stuck with a sullen Swallow, and no place to go.

"What did you do that for?" Jinpei whined, kicking at the dirt.

"They need some time alone together." Joe said flatly, his head bent down and his hands scrunched into his pockets as he walked to his car. "Jun deserves that much."

"You think Aniki finally got his head out of his ass and is going to make a move?" Jinpei asked, smiling.

"I want to give him the chance." Joe grumbled, getting into the civilian form of the G-2. Jinpei opened the passenger door and got into the car.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Wherever the road takes me." Joe shrugged. "Now shut up."

The miles fell away as Joe drove out of Utoland and into the country. At first, the landscape was somewhat interesting, speckled with houses and orchards, but after some time it gradually gave way to endless seas of flat farmland, with no discernable landmarks in sight.

"This is boring!" Jinpei whined. "I can't talk, we're not going anywhere, and there's nothing to look at! I want to go back! Even washing dishes at the Snack is better than this!"

"Didn't I tell you to shut…?"

The Condor's words were cut off as a loud crash came from far off to their right.

"That's from the ocean!" Jinpei cried, his eyes wide. "It sounds like…"

But there was no need for the Swallow to voice his thought. Another loud crash was heard, followed by a rumbling boom, accompanying a massive figure that appeared on the horizon. The metal creature's face was pale, its brightly colored red lips curled up in a smirk to display its razor-sharp white teeth. Black eyebrows curved over brilliant blue eyes that scanned the landscape ahead.

It hadn't noticed them yet.

"Is that the Clown mecha?" Jinpei gasped, his eyes riveted on the sight. "It's so bizarre… what is that sunburst thing on its head?"

"Some kind of crown?" Joe suggested nastily. "Katse thinks he's 'King of the World', after all."

"What are we going to do?" Jinpei asked.

"I'll contact the others." Joe replied, pulling the car over to the side of the road and hiding it inside a nearby cornfield. He lifted his wrist to his mouth, speaking into his bracelet.

"This is G2 to G1."

But there was no response. Only a whiny static came from the bracelet. Jinpei activated another communication, only to achieve the same result.

"There's something blocking our transmissions!" Joe determined. He pushed back a secret panel on the car's dashboard, activating a scanning device. "I can't locate it on my equipment either!"

"Do you think it's got some kind of stealth technology?" Jinpei asked.

"It's possible. And if whatever stealth field they have around that thing is also affecting our bracelets…"

"So how do we let Aniki and Hakase know about this?"

"We'll leave the G-2 behind." Joe stated, adjusting the parameters of his car's communication system. "I can set it to continuous broadcast."

"Leave it behind… you mean, we're going to board that thing?" Jinpei's grin nearly split his face in two.

"It's clearly headed for the ISO Positronium Storage Facilities." Joe deduced. "They're not that far from here. We have to stop them before they reach the area."

The mecha crashed closer and closer. It was about to reach their position.

"Out of the car!" Joe shouted, opening his door and throwing himself into the dirt. Once he saw that Jinpei had obeyed him, the Condor ran into the tall stalks of corn, concealing himself from view as he transmuted. A white flash from behind him indicated that Jinpei had followed suit.

"Hang on!" Joe shouted, pulling out his cablegun and aiming it with both hands. As the massive clown creature passed by, the Condor fired, anchoring his crescent-shaped blade in the mecha's knee. He grabbed Jinpei by the arm, using his other hand to retract the cable and lift the two of them up and onto the mecha.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Where is my wine?" ranted Katse. "I can't think without my wine!"

Kentaro grimaced, but said nothing, his eyes following the purple mutant as he strode angrily back and forth across the metal floor of Lunagron's Control Center.

"How long until we arrive at the ISO positronium storage facilities?" Captain Black asked one of the goons seated at the navigation station. Kentaro's brow furrowed nervously. This whole operation had been poorly planned, and thanks to Berg Katse, was being even more hastily executed. Even worse, the purple mutant wasn't listening to Captain Black's advice, and was blustering forth toward his objective without any thought for the overall success of the mission.

Kentaro winced when he saw how close they were to Utoland. He had tried to point out that the Science Ninja Team was based in this area, but to no avail. Thanks to one successful mission, Berg Katse thought that Lunagron was invincible, no matter that this mecha had never faced down Gatchaman and the God Phoenix.

Damn it all to hell! Kentaro should be in charge! This was _his_ idea, _his_ mecha, _his_ men… only Berg Katse didn't think so.

He had had enough.

"We need to veer further south!" Captain Black ordered, moving to the middle of the large control room so that all of the goons present could hear him. "Move Lunagron south another three hundred kilometers!"

"What?" screeched Katse. "What are you doing? Maintain course!" The Galactor Leader ran over to the piloting station and physically shook the goon in control of Lunagron's movement.

"We are practically there, Captain!" The purple mutant's voice was angry and condescending. "Why the hell are you having us move _now_?"

"We are too close to Utoland." the Captain stated firmly, not the least cowed by Berg Katse's childish tantrum. "We do not want to be seen by anyone. The Science Ninja Team would be sure to respond."

"We are operating with all stealth settings engaged, you idiot!" Katse retorted. "No radar or scanning system can pick up our presence! No one else can even transmit a signal within a kilometer of our location."

"We can still be picked up _visually_." Kentaro insisted. "A mecha hundreds of meters high is visible for a long distance."

"Who's going to see us out in these farmlands?" Katse sneered condescendingly. "The chickens? Maybe the latest member of the Science Ninja Team is a rooster!" The purple mutant laughed mockingly, then glanced around angrily as he realized that no one else was appreciating his joke. A threatening glare behind the purple mask forced a few strained sounds from around the room.

"I would think that _you_, of all people, would know enough to be wary of the Science Ninja Team." Captain Black accused.

"How _dare_ you?" hissed Katse, stalking toward Kentaro.

"How many times have _you_ been defeated by the Science Ninja Team?" the Captain shot back. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew it was a bad idea to antagonize Berg Katse like this, especially in front of a dozen of his own men, but something inside of him rejoiced at this chance to humiliate his rival.

"I am the Lord of Galactor!" Katse screamed, pulling himself up as tall as he was able and wrapping his purple cloak around him in a futile attempt to regain what little was left of his dignity. "The Science Ninja Team has _no_ idea that we are here, or anywhere _near_ Utoland! They have _no_ idea what we are up to! How could they possibly…?"

Katse's words were cut off by a loud beeping sound, accompanied by a flashing red light.

"Captain, there are reports of a disturbance in Engineering." a goon reported quietly to Kentaro.

"What the hell?" Katse shouted, just as more alarms began going off, and muffled screams and shouts came from behind the only entrance portal to the control room.

"Lock the door!" cried Kentaro, but it was of no use. A thin line of flame from some kind of blowtorch appeared on the wall, quickly making a hole just big enough for a man to enter through.

The Science Ninja Team had arrived.

88888

Kentaro's eyes bulged as the Condor burst into the control room of the Clown mecha, shuriken flying and gun blazing. Within ten seconds the dozen goons manning the mecha's systems were dead, and the only men who remained were Captain Black and Berg Katse. The Galactor Leader was in no shape to face the ninja; his knees were practically knocking together in fear, and the Captain could see the purple mutant's eyes darting back and forth as he searched for an escape.

But there was no escape.

"Die, Galactor scum!" the Condor raged, throwing two feather shuriken in Berg Katse's direction, effectively pinning the man to the wall behind him. The Condor approached Kentaro, his anger coming off of him in waves. Yet the Captain was not afraid. He had fought Gatchaman before, and knew that this man could be no better than his commanding officer. Ken was weak, and the Condor would be even weaker.

"This time, it's _your_ turn to die." the Captain mocked.

Confidently, Kentaro threw out his leg, seeking contact with the Condor's shin, in an attempt to trip him. This maneuver had always worked so well on his son.

But not on the Condor. Amazingly, the man easily dodged the attack, twisting his limbs and sending his fist plowing into the Captain's face. Kentaro flew back, his body slamming against the control panels behind him, sparks flying from the broken equipment.

He heard a crack as his head hit the wall, and a wave of fear washed over him. What would happen if his mask fell off? He was dressed in a standard goon uniform, albeit one in a blue color to distinguish him from others and indicate his rank. The masks on such costumes could easily be removed with a blow, and should his face be revealed, the Condor would realize that he wasn't truly dead.

Even worse, the man would know that Kentaro Washio was working for Galactor.

Frantically, the Captain's hands flew to his head, ensuring that his mask was still in place. Once he had confirmed that his identity remained a secret, Kentaro reached for his own gun, preparing to shoot at his enemy. But even as his finger attempted to squeeze the trigger, a feather shuriken stabbed him in the wrist, causing the Captain to cry out in pain and drop his weapon.

From the corner of his eye, he could see Berg Katse struggling. The Galactor Leader was having trouble extricating himself from the two shuriken that were keeping him pinned to the wall of the control room. He would be of no help at all, not that this was truly a surprise to the Captain.

He was on his own.

Kentaro launched himself at the Condor, moving swiftly to grab his opponent's waist, attempting a grapple that would force the Science Ninja to the floor. Instead, he felt a hard chop to the back of his neck, causing him to fall to the ground, knocking the air out of his lungs.

In short order, Captain Black found himself dragged to his feet, the Condor holding onto his collar and twisting it painfully, making it difficult for Kentaro to breathe. The ninja dragged the Captain across the floor to where Berg Katse still struggled, then grabbed the Galactor Leader with his other hand.

"I think it's time to rid the world of bastards like you." the Condor growled, clearly angry.

"What makes you think you can kill us now?" Kentaro laughed sadistically, his bravado only a desperate attempt to deter the Condor from his intended course of action. "You've tried to defeat Galactor many times before, and yet we always strike again."

The Captain could practically see the steam coming from the Condor's ears as he spoke. Good. Perhaps Kentaro could distract his opponent enough to…

"Don't kill me!" Katse begged shamelessly, not understanding what Kentaro was attempting to do. "I'm not the one you want. It's him! Kill him!" He pointed at Captain Black as best he could.

"You _want_ me to kill him?" the Condor shook Kentaro so hard that his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

"He's useless! Just kill him!" Katse cried, his eyes gleaming. Kentaro understood. The Galactor Leader had just seen the perfect way to get rid of his rival, and was doing his best to ensure that it happened.

"Sounds to me like this guy might actually have some valuable information." the Condor grinned, but there was no humor in his expression, only a cold vindictiveness. "Perhaps _you're_ the one whose turn it is to die, Katse."

"Damn you, Science Ninja Team!" Katse cried, reaching up to his mouth.

There was a bright flash of light, and the next thing Kentaro knew, thick, dark smoke was billowing through the air, while the Condor was swearing a blue streak.

"Fucking bastard! He got away again!" the Condor cried.

"Explosives set to detonate in twenty seconds!" The voice came from the Condor's bracelet, and Kentaro recognized it as that of the Swallow.

"You're not worth my time." muttered the Condor disgustedly, as he tossed the Captain aside like yesterday's trash. He pulled something from his belt as he ran from the room, throwing it at the mecha's controls. A fiery blast detonated from the panel, causing Kentaro to duck for cover.

The Swallow had said that they had twenty seconds…

Kentaro knew that Berg Katse would have run for the main escape pod on the Lunagron mecha, but fortunately, he had designed this mecha with a backup pod, in case of extreme emergency. This situation certainly qualified. The Captain had just enough time to open the hatch, which was conveniently located in the Control Room itself, as the belly of Lunagron exploded. Kentaro quickly scrambled inside, managing to launch the pod before the remainder of the mecha was engulfed by the flaming devastation the Science Ninja Team had wrought.

This mission had been a complete failure.

88888

Joe sprinted madly down the corridor, searching for any sign of Berg Katse. But it was too late. The Galactor Leader was sure to be in his escape pod by now, and there were only a few seconds remaining for Joe to get off of the doomed mecha.

The metallic Clown shook, and the screech of tearing metal filled the Condor's ears. The wall literally ripped itself apart in front of his eyes, and the bright, blue sky was visible beyond. Without hesitation, Joe dove through the hole, flames and inky black smoke now clearly noticeable as they poured forth from the Clown's midsection. Jinpei had done his job well.

The head was burning too, and even as Joe watched, he could see the tear in the Clown's neck, through which he had escaped, expanding. An escape pod shot through the air, clearing the wreckage of Galactor's latest folly and earning the Condor's scorn.

"Bastard." he spat, gliding down to the ground, avoiding the flying debris and flames now shooting out of the mecha to cover the nearby area. He landed in a field of wheat, next to an exuberant Swallow.

"Did you see that thing explode?" Jinpei crowed. "Onechan would be so proud of me!"

"She's taught you well." Joe acknowledged with a grunt, surveying the scene. "You really helped out a lot on this one."

"Thanks, Joe." the boy grinned, and for a moment, his happiness was infectious. "I sure am glad you took me with you on that drive!"

Joe's emotions, which had momentarily been lightened by the successful destruction of the mecha, darkened again. He had almost forgotten what had brought them there in the first place.

"Did you find Katse?" Jinpei asked hopefully.

"Yeah." the Condor snapped. "He got away, _again_. He's just a slippery bastard."

"Don't worry, Joe, Aniki can't catch him either!" the Swallow laughed, ducking the blow to the head that instantly came sailing his way. "But it doesn't matter. This mecha was going for the positronium stored by the ISO, and we stopped it! Hakase will be happy."

"Let's hope so." Joe grumbled, as his bracelet began to beep with an incoming communication.

88888

"I'm glad you two were in the right place at the right time." Dr. Nambu said, his gaze falling on Joe and Jinpei. Jun, Ken and Ryu were standing behind the two ninjas, and Joe was pretty sure he knew what they were thinking. Everyone had been both surprised and slightly annoyed that Joe and Jinpei had destroyed the mecha before the ISO had even received a report of its presence.

If only Berg Katse hadn't been able to escape again! He had had the man in his grasp, and the Condor still didn't quite understand how his enemy had been able to slip away.

And then there had been that strange Captain… the one Berg Katse had wanted dead… There had been something Joe had recognized about that guy. Of course, in those crazy Galactor uniforms, it was difficult to recognize anyone. But even so, the man had been familiar, somehow.

Some strange recognition had prevented Joe from just killing the Captain outright. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something about the man's voice… its mocking, condescending tone.

Why couldn't he place it?

"The ISO is moving the positronium to a number of smaller storage facilities." Nambu was saying. "Without any large quantities at one single location, we anticipate that Galactor will cease its efforts to obtain this resource… at least, as a primary goal."

"So in other words, we're back to the status quo." Ken observed.

"For now." the Doctor acknowledged. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Joe and Jinpei.

"I understand that you were unable to contact the rest of us," Nambu said, his eyebrows coming together in a severe frown, "and I'm glad that the two of you were able to avert an attack on the storage facilities. However, the next time you anticipate such a thing…"

"We didn't 'anticipate' it, Hakase!" Jinpei whined. "It just showed up! Joe was just driving around in his car out in the middle of nowhere, and we ran across it!"

"I don't like the idea of you being so far away if you got a call, Joe." the Doctor admonished. "You need to stay closer to Utoland. If you cannot, then you will be confined to base."

"If I hadn't been in the middle of nowhere, we'd never have known that this mecha was there, in time to stop it!" Joe retorted angrily.

"All the same, you and Jinpei put yourselves in danger." Nambu replied calmly. "It is foolhardy to risk yourselves when moving in with the entire Team would have been far more prudent."

"That's…" Joe growled angrily, but stopped when he heard Jun whispering behind his back.

"He's just worried about you." the Swan said softly. "Hakase doesn't want to see you hurt, any more than I do."

Jun's words made Joe pause for a moment, and the Doctor took that opportunity to end the briefing.

"That is all." Nambu informed them. "You are all dismissed."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Joe turned to leave the room, noting that Jun did not wait for him, but was exiting the Doctor's office in a hurry, her posture stiff and rigid. Ken approached her, placing his hand on her arm, but she shook off the gesture with an anger that surprised Joe.

Ken simply stood there, a bewildered expression on his face. Jinpei and Ryu looked to Joe in their confusion.

"I'll take care of it." the Condor said quietly. The Swallow and the Owl exited quickly, Jinpei taking off in the direction in which his big sister had gone.

"What's wrong, Ken?" Joe asked bluntly, facing the Eagle with a stony gaze. "Why is Jun so angry with you?"

Ken looked around, then shook his head.

"Not here, Joe." he sighed.

"Then we'll go to the airfield." the Condor replied. The Eagle nodded in a resigned fashion, following Joe along the hall, and down the elevator, to where the civilian mode G-2 was parked in the ISO Building underground garage.

The fifteen minute drive to Ken's airfield was filled with an uneasy silence, the Eagle's unspoken words creating a stilted atmosphere that neither of them knew how to breach.

When they arrived, Ken slowly got out of the car, unlocked the entrance to his shack, and went inside. The door slammed behind the Eagle, as if he was unaware that anyone else was with him. The Condor got the message, but refused to pay attention to it.

Something was wrong.

When Joe entered the shack, Ken was seated on the couch, his head in his hands. The Condor leaned against the wall, his arms and ankles crossed.

"What happened, Ken?"

"I've… I've lost her."

"What do you mean, 'you've lost her'? As you constantly like to remind me, you and Jun were never together in the first place."

"No, and now we never will be."

"I find that hard to believe."

"It's true, Joe. I've… I've ruined everything."

"So I'll ask you again. What happened?"

"It was all _your_ fault!"

"Huh?"

Joe stared at Ken, his annoyed glare clearly demanding an explanation for the other's comments.

"How is it _my_ fault?" the Condor asked angrily. "I wasn't even there!"

"That's just it!" Ken exploded. "_You weren't there_! Jun wanted to watch a movie, and I said yes, because I figured that would shut her up for a while. I could sit away from her and not be so damned tempted…"

"But we left so you could be _alone_ with Jun!"

"I _can't_ be alone with the Jun!" Ken insisted. "Don't you understand what I'm saying, Joe? If I'm alone with Jun, something's bound to happen. And as long as I'm Gatchaman, that's a luxury I can't afford."

"Bullshit!" Joe shouted violently. "You deserve happiness just as much as any of us."

"I might deserve it, but I can't have it." Ken shook his head. "When I think about Jun, I'm not thinking about anything else. On a mission, that could be deadly. What if I make the wrong decision because I'm trying to protect her?"

"She doesn't _need_ protection." Joe insisted. "She's the damn Swan! She's as good as any of us at protecting herself."

"But we _all_ put our lives on the line, Joe." the Eagle insisted in a lecturing tone. "I need to be able to make clear, logical decisions on a mission, not ones clouded by emotion."

"What are you, a freaking Vulcan?" Joe snorted in disgust.

"I wish I were." Ken sighed. "When she tried to kiss me this afternoon…"

"She tried to kiss you?" Joe's voice caught in his throat. "What happened?"

"I pushed her away." Ken sighed heavily, staring at the floor. "I think she fell off the sofa. And then I raced out of there."

"_What_?" Joe's fists clenched together involuntarily.

"I couldn't exactly stick around, after that!" Ken explained. "I barely held back as it was. I tried to apologize after the briefing, but she didn't want to talk to me…"

"You need to get your butt the hell over to the Snack right now!" Joe insisted. "_You_ kiss _her_ this time! And if you don't…" the Condor growled threateningly.

"What, you're going to mutiny if I don't?" The Eagle laughed self-deprecatingly. "Somehow, I doubt that."

"No." Joe said coldly. "If _you_ don't kiss her, someone else is going to. She's the kind of girl who won't be alone for long."

"Who?" Ken's head snapped up and he stared Joe straight in the eye. "Who's going to kiss her?" he asked accusingly.

"Not me!" Joe backed off, his hands held up in mock surrender. "But someone. Just the other day she was telling me about some guy she used to hang out with. I guess he wanted to start something, but she was all goopy over you."

"Which guy?" Ken growled. The Eagle's eyes blazed, and he was clearly upset. Joe smirked to himself. Maybe _this_ would be enough to knock some sense into Ken.

"I think she said his name was… Koji." Joe shrugged with exaggerated casualness. "I could ask her to contact him, if you think it would help you take your mind off of Jun."

"No!" Ken snapped. "I…"

The Eagle's voice drifted off for a moment. His expression crumbled, leaving only a mask of sad resignation behind.

"Do you see now, Joe?" he asked quietly. "When I think of her… it's _all_ I think about. I've _got_ to stay away."

"You're making a mistake, Ken."

"It's my mistake to make, Joe."

88888

"How could we fail to meet our objectives?" Sosai demanded angrily.

"It was his fault!" Berg Katse pouted, pointing a long, red finger at Kentaro. "This Captain you saddled me with doesn't know the first thing about how to run a successful mission!"

"Like _you_ have any experience with successful missions!" Captain Black snorted. "When was the last time the Science Ninja Team _didn't_ catch you with your pants down, Katse?"

"Sosai, you must agree that this buffoon doesn't know what he's talking about!" Katse smirked, moving down the length of the Audience Chamber to approach the disembodied form of the alien entity. "I have proven myself for Galactor many times…"

"Enough!" Sosai roared. "I am sick of your petty bickering! This is why I kept the two of you separate for so long. Your juvenile human jealousies are getting in the way of your effectiveness! I am displeased with both of you!" The alien's eyes narrowed, and the way he stared at Kentaro sent a terrified shiver down the Captain's spine. He had to scramble to maintain his composure. He was _not_ going to let himself lose control in front of Berg Katse.

"You are right, Sosai." he said smoothly, bowing low and making Berg Katse look like a bumbling clown. "I apologize for my human 'inefficiencies'. What matters now is how we are going to rectify this matter and obtain the resources you require."

"I will assign you that task, Captain Black." Sosai said begrudgingly. "You were able to procure resources without Berg Katse, and you shall do so again, for the good of Galactor."

"But what about me?" Katse screeched. "I'm just as good as he is! Why…!"

"Don't get yourself all excited, Katse." Sosai sighed regretfully. "I have a task for you as well, and it is far more important. It will require highly trained personnel, specialized mecha, and a great deal of strategy…"

"I have a new engineer at Ghost Island!" Katse brightened. "He created the Melduthra mecha that allowed us to obtain our recent uranium supplies. I'll get him working on something for the Blackbirds right away! What, exactly, is their mission, Sosai?"

"That is something for your ears alone." the alien entity replied, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed Kentaro.

"I'll be headed back to my base, then." the Captain said, moving rearward out of the room, not turning his back on his master. "Farewell, Sosai."

The alien entity silently glared at Kentaro until he left the chamber.

88888

It still rankled Joe that he was unable to leave the Utoland city limits without permission, except to go to the Crescent Coral Base. Of course, if he were to look at this unemotionally, it wasn't that much of a restriction on his daily life. He always had to get permission to participate in races outside of town, regardless of this latest stricture, and rarely did he wish to leave the city limits.

Still, knowing that this constraint was there chafed at him. He didn't like the feeling that he was 'penned in', regardless of the fact that his 'pen' was an entire metropolitan area. Somehow, it made him feel like a Manhattan inhabitant in that old 'Escape from New Jork' movie.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much he could do about it right now, other than try his best to push it from his mind. And that was something at which Joe Asakura excelled. There were always more important things to worry about… like the mess inside Ken's head, for instance.

Joe couldn't believe how screwed up Ken was when it came to Jun. But then, were any of them _truly_ emotionally healthy? Well, perhaps Ryu… he was the only one of them who had had what might be considered a 'normal' childhood. But Ken seemed to have the most trouble dealing with emotional setbacks. It hadn't been that long since the Eagle had gone off the handle when dealing with his father's death. And now his feelings for Jun were causing problems as well. Joe supposed he shouldn't really be surprised.

He looked up, surprised to see that he had parked his car in its usual spot outside of the Snack J. He guessed his subconscious mind had been trying to tell him something. Sighing heavily, Joe got out of his car and went into the restaurant.

As he entered, he saw Jun standing behind the counter, washing some dishes. She looked up nervously when the door opened, her shoulders tensing. Her body posture relaxed somewhat when she saw that it was the Condor.

"Hi, Joe." she sighed, returning to her task.

"Tough day, huh?" he asked her, sliding into his usual seat at the end of the bar. It was the middle of the afternoon, and there was no one else in the place.

"Yesterday was the tough day." Jun said quietly.

"It's Ken again, isn't it?" Joe asked bluntly.

"He's just…" The Swan threw her sponge into the soapy water, causing a few suds to spill onto the countertop. "He's just not interested, Joe. I've got to accept that."

"It's not an easy thing to accept." Joe shrugged with exaggerated casualness. His eyes followed Jun as she wiped her hands on a towel and got him a bottle of his favorite beer. He took a long, slow drink, tilting his head back and keeping an eye on Jun's reaction as he uttered his next words.

"Good thing it isn't true."

"What are you talking about?" Jun asked angrily. "You don't know anything about it!"

"I have an idea." Joe hedged. "He told me what happened."

"He told you…?" The Swan's cheeks flamed red, and she hung her head down, to hide her face with a curtain of hair. "What… what did he say?"

"He told me that you tried to kiss him." Joe said, placing his hand comfortingly over Jun's on the bar. "And that he screwed it up."

"He said that he screwed it up?" Jun's eyes showed a spark of hope.

"He doesn't know how to deal with his feelings." Joe told her. "He cares for you, a lot. That's why this is messing him up so much. He has this idea that he can't be with you, and still be Gatchaman at the same time."

"I… I see…" Jun said quietly, pulling her hand away from Joe and backing away toward the kitchen.

"It's not your fault, Jun." Joe told her, but the Swan had turned and bolted out of the room.

"Great." the Condor muttered sarcastically to himself. He had wanted to make things better, but all he had done was to make them worse.

88888

The Condor walked into Dr. Nambu's office at the Crescent Coral Base, surprised to see that the Swan was already there, and engaged in deep conversation with the Doctor.

"Am I late?" Joe asked, his eyes darting around the room. There was no sign of anyone else.

"On the contrary, you're early, Joe." Nambu replied. "But that's fine. Jun and I were just finishing up."

"What's going on?" the Condor asked, noting how the Swan's eyes refused to meet his.

"Nothing that concerns you." the Doctor said succinctly. "Look, the others have arrived. Let's begin the briefing."

Despite his curiosity, Joe put the matter from his mind, focusing instead on the more immediate threat that Dr. Nambu was already describing.

"As you can see, the mecha in question looks something like a rhinoceros." Nambu explained, showing images of a metallic creature on his monitor. "It has been using its horn to literally 'dig up' whatever facility it targets. It has already decimated the Igyptian industrial refinery complexes in northern Ifriquia, and we suspect that its next target will be the Mantle Plan Research Base in Camarene."

"Do we have any idea about the timetable of this strike?" Ken asked.

"Not specifically," the Doctor admitted, "but based on Galactor's past actions, I'm guessing that it will be soon. I want you to launch the God Phoenix and move into the area, so that you will be ready to intercept any potential attack."

"Roger!"

88888

Captain Black paced the floor of Galactor's latest mecha: a rhinoceros-shaped beast named RhinoGilla. The Captain had successfully accomplished the task that Sosai had set before him: to destroy the Igyptian refinery complexes in northern Ifriquia. Without these complexes, the ISO would now be required to send the uranium ore they were mining in Irope much further away for processing, which would give Galactor troops a much better chance of intercepting the ore shipments.

"You have done well, Kentaro Washio." the alien entity's voice came into his mind. "Reports of your attack have shown that your mecha was successful in destroying the ISO refineries."

"I have done my best to serve you, Sosai." the Captain replied respectfully. "Do you have another target for us?"

"I have another target for RhinoGilla," Sosai replied, "but not for you. You are to return to Galactor's Indrian base for a change in command personnel."

"A change in command personnel?" Kentaro asked, forcing back his anger. He could just _guess_ who was going to be placed in command.

"Yes. Berg Katse will be relieving you of duty. You will remain at the Indrian base while Katse takes RhinoGilla out to destroy the Mantle Plan Research Center in Camarene. You will ensure that the mecha is ready for deployment immediately upon your return."

"It will be as you have commanded, Sosai." Kentaro replied through gritted teeth. He felt certain that the alien entity must sense his emotions, so strong were they. But if this was the case, his Master was choosing to ignore these feelings. The moment Sosai had left his mind, the Captain let out his frustrations in a primal scream of rage. His men looked up in shock from their workstations, then quickly bent their heads back down again when they realized their superior officer's state of mind.

"Damn you, Katse!" Kentaro muttered quietly. That purple mutant was going to take _another_ mecha command away from Captain Black! At least this time, Kentaro wouldn't be forced to watch that idiot lording his position over him. Surely Katse would fail at this task, as he did with nearly all other tasks set before him, and then Sosai would be displeased.

But Kentaro was beginning to wonder if Sosai's displeasure with Berg Katse would ever be _enough_. How many times had Katse failed, only to be put back in a position of power by Sosai? If Berg Katse had been a Captain, or even a General, he would have been long deposed by now. It seemed as if the alien entity who was truly in charge of Galactor wanted his purple mutant beside him, for reasons Kentaro could not fathom.

How was he supposed to compete with his rival, when he wasn't even sure what he was competing against?

Still, he had work to do. Kentaro contacted his Chief Engineer, informing him of Sosai's demand that RhinoGilla be ready for immediate deployment, once they returned to the Indrian base.

"That shouldn't be a problem." Chief Engineer Suto replied over the communications system. "We didn't sustain much damage from that last attack. We've already completed most of the minor repairs required. It's a good thing too. Those new recruits from the Mt. Jupiter Penitentiary aren't worth their uniforms! They can barely tie their own shoes, much less make simple repairs. I have to wonder why Lord Katse even bothers with riff-raff like this."

"Anyone can point and shoot a gun." Kentaro replied dryly. "It's recruits like these who keep men like us from the front lines."

"Amen to that, Sir." the Engineer acknowledged. Captain Black only hoped that Berg Katse's incompetence wouldn't lead to Kentaro's men being put on the front lines in a fight with the Science Ninja Team. He couldn't afford to lose any more good people.

"Suto… when Berg Katse takes RhinoGilla out…" Kentaro hesitated. He didn't want to say anything that could get back to Sosai and be construed the wrong way.

"If there's any sign of trouble, you gather up our team and get yourselves out of there, understood?" he said quickly.

"Understood, Captain." Suto acknowledged. And from the sound of his voice, Kentaro could tell that Suto did. Strange… he had only been working with these men for a couple of months, and yet he thought of them as his own… almost as a team. He had never had this kind of attachment to Masaki and Oniishi. Perhaps this was because he had always had to hide so much of himself from the two pilots. Now, working for Galactor, Kentaro felt more fulfilled, and never had to hide his true goals, the way he had when he had been living as Red Impulse.

This, at least, was something to be grateful for.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The tense atmosphere on the Bridge of the God Phoenix had little to do with the mission at hand. No one spoke unless it was absolutely necessary, and there was none of the jocular camaraderie that they usually experienced at times like this. The heavy silence fell upon the members of the Science Ninja Team like a winged mantle.

Joe kept his eyes on his weapons station, checking the God Phoenix's armaments and hoping that the adjustments Dr. Nambu had made to their strength would be enough. There had been far too many engagements lately where Bird Missiles had had no effect on attacking mecha.

But that was merely exchanging one worry for another. The Condor didn't have to look at the Swan to know how stiffly she held herself, or to notice how she didn't diffuse the tangible strain they were all under, as was her usual role. If anything, Jun herself was the cause of that strain.

Jun… and Ken.

Joe wanted to bash some sense into Gatchaman's head. Ken was capable of making Jun incredibly happy, and himself as well, for that matter. Instead, he was being pigheaded and refused to see what was right in front of him. The rest of them all took for granted what the Eagle generally refused to acknowledge, and now it seemed that it was becoming a communication barrier that the entire Team had to work around.

The uneasy silence was broken by a beeping indicator coming from the Swan's scanning systems.

"There is a large mecha being picked up by our radar." Jun reported. "It appears to be headed toward the ISO Mantle Plan Research Center."

"Move to intercept them, Ryu." Ken said sharply.

"I'm on it, Ken." the Owl acknowledged, bringing the God Phoenix around and taking off at top speed. But as they approached, the Swan cried out a warning.

"There's another one, Ryu!"

"And one another two kilometers away!" the Swallow reported.

"I'm seeing four of them!" Joe said, aghast.

"We should be coming into visual range of that first one now." Ken stated, and all eyes focused on the main viewscreen, eager to see what they were up against.

What they were up against was apparently a bright blue sky dotted with puffy clouds.

"Are they invisible?" Jinpei asked cautiously.

"I don't think so." Jun said, her fingers flying over her workstation console. "It appears that what I first picked up on the radar was a ghost image. Somehow, they're sending out false readings to fool our systems. I'm guessing that's why we saw so many of them."

"But which one is the real one?" Ken growled in frustration.

"I'm working on it!" Jun snapped in irritation.

"Let's just head to the Research Center." Joe suggested quickly. "As long as we're there, we can see any mecha that approach."

"Good point, Joe." Ryu approved, and the Owl began changing course, without waiting for Gatchaman's confirmation. It was clear that Ken's mind was occupied with other things at the moment.

"I've run a comparison analysis." Jun said after a few moments of angry silence. "Most of the images the radar is picking up have a data point of 6.92. But _one_ of them has a data point of 7.13."

"That must be our target!" Jinpei crowed gleefully.

"Except, that image is already at the Research Center!" Ken's fist slammed onto his console. "How long until we get there, Ryu?"

"Coming into range now!" the Owl replied. On the main viewscreen they could all see the Mantle Plan Research Center. This facility was located in the middle of a savanna, with nothing but dry grassland stretching as far as the eye could see.

Given the topography of their location, the enormous metal rhinoceros attacking the installation was clearly visible. It was standing on all fours, bending its head toward the main building. The massive horn on its cranium struck the ground, tunneling underneath the ISO Research Facility. Blinking red and blue lights began to flash from its eyes, and from various other places on its body.

"What is it doing?" Jinpei asked nervously.

"Whatever it is, it can't be good." Joe snapped. "I'm going to blast it with a couple of Birds."

"No, Joe!" The Eagle's arm shot out, physically preventing the Condor from pressing the ominous red button in front of him. "That horn is right underneath the Research Facility! The data and ISO personnel in there could be destroyed as well!"

"He's right, Joe." Jun acknowledged.

"Then what do you suggest?" Joe asked sourly, crossing his arms petulantly.

"We'll have to…"

Gatchaman's voice was cut off by an emergency transmission from Dr. Nambu.

"Team, ISO personnel at the Camarene Research Facility report that Galactor is stealing their data files!" the Doctor said frantically. "Decades of research are being appropriated by Galactor as we speak! You must stop them and recover any stolen information immediately!"

"We're on it, Hakase." Ken acknowledged, before terminating the communication. The Eagle turned to the Condor, the Swan, and the Swallow.

"We're going in." Gatchaman told them. No further words were needed as the four ninjas ran to the elevation platform, then rose to the hull of the God Phoenix and waited the two seconds for the dome to retract. As soon as it was clear, they all jumped into the air, gliding down to the mecha below them. Once they reached the Rhino's surface, Joe pulled out his gun, to which he had already attached his blowtorch. This was no time for subtlety.

Twenty seconds later, they were inside the mecha, standing in the middle of a featureless metal corridor.

"We don't have much time." the Eagle told them. "The data must be recovered as quickly as possible, before Katse has a chance to analyze it, or transmit it to Galactor Headquarters. We'll have to split up." Gatchaman surveyed his Team.

"Jinpei, you're with me."

Jun's hand rose halfway to her mouth, before she caught herself and nodded. Joe winced in sympathy for her. Whenever the Science Ninja Team split up on a mission, Ken invariably chose Jun to accompany him. The fact that he hadn't done so right now spoke volumes.

"We'll go this way." Joe said, grabbing Jun's hand and pulling her along with him, in an attempt to take her mind from the Eagle's rebuff. The Condor did not wait to see the Eagle's reaction.

The Swan followed the Condor in silence, doing her job with quiet efficiency as they searched for any sign of the stolen Mantle Plan records and took down any goons they came across. After a few minutes the pair of ninjas opened the door to a massive chamber. The room was lined with computers, and in its center was a giant cylindrical server. Red and blue lights, similar to the ones they had seen on the outside of the mecha, flashed and moved along clear tubes connected to various access ports protruding from the five-meter-high device.

"This must be connected to that horn." Joe surmised.

"I'd say that we've found the Data Center." Jun said.

The Condor reported their status to the Eagle and the Swallow while the Swan began accessing the mecha's systems.

"We're a little busy right now!" Ken's breathless voice replied from Joe's wrist. The Condor could hear the sounds of battle coming through his bracelet. "We'll be with you in a few minutes!"

"Roger!" Joe acknowledged. He turned to Jun to assess her progress, noting that the red and blue lights now seemed to be flashing in an erratic pattern.

"I've found the data stream and terminated it." the Swan reported. I'm copying over the data they've stolen, in case they've erased it from the ISO Systems, and then I'll destroy their records."

"Good." Joe grunted. "I'll make sure to keep everyone off your back. If you've terminated the data stream, I'll bet that they know we're here."

Even as the Condor uttered those words, the doors to the Data Center opened, and two squadrons of goons came rushing inside.

"So nice of you to come and play."

A dark blue blur passed in front of the ranks of green soldiers, a trail of feather shuriken falling in its wake. Goon after goon dropped to the floor, gurgling as the Condor's poison weapons pierced their throats.

"You're surrounded, Science Ninja Team!" cried an especially unperceptive goon.

"Being surrounded by dead men isn't really a threat." Joe grinned viciously, sending his boot heel into the man's stomach. The soldier dropped to the floor, groaning miserably before the Condor's bullet shot through his brain.

"These ones are done, but there'll probably be more!" Joe shouted to Jun. "What's your status?"

"I've copied the data and erased their records!" the Swan cried. "I'm going to plant charges and turn this thing into scrap metal!"

"That's my girl!" Joe said approvingly, but his next words were cut off by another voice echoing through the chamber.

"I'm so glad you're enjoying yourselves, Science Ninja Team." cackled Berg Katse. The Condor looked around, but did not see the Galactor Leader. Katse was clearly broadcasting to the entire mecha from some other location.

"Too bad your fun is going to come to an end." Katse's voice went on. "In thirty seconds, nevrasine gas will flood this entire mecha. As I'm sure you know, breathing in this gas causes instant paralysis. And once you're all incapacitated, it won't be too difficult for my men to take you into custody. Prepare to become prisoners of Galactor!"

"Pull out, Joe!" Gatchaman's orders came through the Condor's bracelet.

"We've got to go, Jun!" Joe shouted. "Forget the charges! We have the data!"

"No, I've got to destroy this thing!" Jun cried frantically.

"Twenty-five seconds, Jun!" Joe shouted.

"_Please_!"

The Condor's eyes met those of the Swan for a fraction of a second. There was something in her expression that he had never seen before. A desperate need… a _hunger_… It was something vaguely reminiscent of what he saw in his own visage each morning, as he looked in the mirror.

"Do it fast." he grunted, and the Swan's elated smile was his reward. Quickly, she yanked open the panel in front of her and began cutting and switching the wires inside. The Condor pulled a handful of mini-bombs from his belt pouch and held them in his hand.

"Ten seconds, Jun!"

"Done!"

Joe grabbed Jun's wrist and threw his bombs at the server, just as the Swan's handiwork began to smoke and crackle with electricity. The two ninjas raced into the corridor just ahead of the resulting explosion, and they could already see clouds of greenish gas beginning to pour forth from a series of vents along the ceiling.

Ahead of them was the opening the Condor had created with his blowtorch when they had entered the mecha. The two ninjas made for this exit, a blue and white blur against the grey metal walls and dull greenish smoke. Joe took one last gasp of air just before the noxious nevrasine gas enveloped them, propelling his body out of the mecha with everything he had, Jun's wrist still firmly in his grasp.

But even as they began to glide down toward the ground, Joe felt his limbs beginning to stiffen. Jun's body became a dead weight in his grasp, yet he found himself unable to let go of her, even had he wanted to. The grass below them was approaching at a fast and furious pace, and the Condor used his last bit of strength to twist his body, causing his shoulder to impact the ground with a violent crack, while the form of the Swan crashed onto his chest.

The massive Rhino was in front of him, fiery blasts coming from all around the mecha. As Jun had predicted, the hideous creature suddenly exploded into scrap metal, raining white-hot shards of debris all around the area. A thick, oily smoke blotted out the sun, and everything went black.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Joe, are you all right?"

He blinked, and found himself looking up at a familiar ceiling. It took him only a moment to realize that he was in the Medical Bay on the God Phoenix.

"Jun…"

"Onechan is fine!" chirped Jinpei. "She woke up about ten minutes ago. She wasn't really injured, but your shoulder was dislocated."

"That explains why it feels like I've been smashed with a sledgehammer." the Condor grunted, attempting to sit up.

"Aniki told me to keep you sedated while we popped it back into place. But it should heal pretty quickly, especially once Hakase puts you in his regeneration chamber for awhile."

"Thanks, Kid." Joe said, gingerly rubbing his aching shoulder.

"How is he doing?" Jun asked. Joe looked over to see the Swan standing in the doorway.

"He's grouchy." Jinpei laughed. "Just like always!"

"I'm glad to see you're okay, Joe." Jun said quietly, approaching hesitantly.

"Did you talk to Aniki?" Jinpei asked anxiously.

"He was busy talking to Hakase." Jun shook her head. "He saw me, though. He knows I'm okay. Why don't you go give him a report on the two of us?"

"Okay." the Swallow agreed, clearly eager to get back to the Bridge. "I'll see you later!" The boy ran out of the room.

"What happened?" Joe asked, wincing as he moved his arm.

"I suspect you remember most of it." Jun said. "We jumped out of the mecha, but we had inhaled some of the nevrasine gas and couldn't move. You managed to soften my landing, and then we blacked out. The others found us a little while after that, and brought us back here to the God Phoenix."

"So I gather Ken and Jinpei made it out okay." Joe asked. "The kid seemed just fine."

"Yes. Jinpei told me that they found the control room, but Ken wasn't able to catch Katse. They escaped the mecha before we did, and weren't affected by the nevrasine gas."

"Unlike the two of you, who apparently didn't follow orders." the Eagle said sourly. The Condor and the Swan looked up to see Gatchaman entering the room.

"We were just finishing up." Joe said smoothly. "I didn't think it would take that much time."

"You barely escaped." Ken said angrily. "What the hell were you thinking, Joe? I told you to pull out!"

"It was my fault." Jun said quickly. "I insisted on destroying the mecha, even though we had recovered the data and Joe wanted to go."

"And why was that so important?" the Eagle demanded, staring hard at the Swan.

Rather than back down, as she often did in a confrontation with Gatchaman, the Swan stood strong.

"It just _was_." she replied, in a velvety-soft voice laced with steel.

Ken's eyes widened for a second, and then his features relaxed slightly. He breathed out a long sigh through his mouth, then hesitantly put his hand on Jun's arm.

"I don't appreciate you making that kind of decision to countermand my orders." he said quietly. "But right now, I'm just glad you're okay."

"Thank you, Ken."

The Swan smiled hesitantly at the Eagle, and Gatchaman returned the gesture. For a moment, the Condor felt as if he was intruding on something private, but just as he thought about leaving the room, Ken turned on his heel and exited the Medical Bay without another word.

Although he wasn't entirely certain why, Joe could see that the disagreement between Ken and Jun had been resolved.

He just hoped that was the end of their problems.

88888

Despite the reconciliation between Ken and Jun, the Swan seemed to be heading off on her own a lot these days. It seemed that every time Joe went to the Snack J, Jinpei was the only one there, and he reported that Jun had gone for a motorcycle ride.

It wasn't until a few days later, when Joe was reading one of his racing magazines, that he made a connection. A small article noted that motorcycle racing champion Koji Yabane had returned to the professional circuit after a two year absence.

Koji… hadn't Jun said that she had met her friend Koji at the motorcycle races? Koji had wanted a deeper relationship with Jun, and two years ago she had rebuffed him. But now, Ken had made it clear to Jun that there could be nothing between them, and Jun had taken to riding off on her motorcycle alone…

Joe didn't like all that this implied. And yet, he never found himself alone with Jun long enough to ask her about it. And after all, her personal life was her own. If she wanted to pursue other interests, why shouldn't she be able to?

And why did it bother him so much?

Certainly Joe didn't lead a celibate life. On occasion, a woman from the racetrack would find her way into his bed, but never for more than one night. For the Condor, such encounters were purely physical, and he always made it clear to his partners that there was no emotional connection for him. Didn't Jun deserve the same kind of release?

Except… Joe knew Jun. She wasn't the type of girl to engage in physical intimacy _without_ an emotional connection. And if that kind of connection was made with someone outside of the Science Ninja Team… it could put them all in jeopardy.

Joe had a bad feeling about this situation. He determined to talk to her about it as soon as possible. But just as he was contemplating this course of action, Dr. Nambu contacted the Science Ninja Team on their bracelets, requesting that they meet him at ISO Headquarters.

When they arrived, Jun was already there, speaking with Dr. Nambu. She was dressed in her racing outfit: a form-fitting white catsuit with pink stripes down the sides. She nodded at the Doctor, then left the room without acknowledging the others.

"It seems that Jun came across an old friend of hers this afternoon." Nambu informed them. "A man named Koji. He was accompanied by a strange group of masked motorcycle riders. Jun followed them and observed as they infiltrated a military base; a base from which she saw smoke rising not long after. My suspicions were aroused even more when I received this new transmission."

The Doctor turned on a wall monitor just as Jun re-entered the room, dressed in her usual civilian uniform. The announcer's nasal voice filled the room.

"According to reports, authorities suspect a large criminal organization is behind this disaster. Local officials have declared that an all-out manhunt will commence at any moment, now." The footage shifted to a military leader making an announcement to the press.

"We have concluded that the conspiracy was aimed at detonating the nuclear missiles stored in the underground repository. All military bases have been contacted and are on high alert."

Dr. Nambu turned off the report, turning to address the members of the Science Ninja Team.

"Well, I'm at a loss." the Doctor sighed. "If we make even one small mistake, we could trigger a nuclear war."

Joe wasn't entirely sure of the situation, but it seemed to him as if Nambu was overreacting.

Clearly Ken felt the same way.

"For real, Hakase?" Ken asked. "Do you suppose it could have something to do with those strange bikers who attacked Jun?" The Eagle was grasping for a connection between these events.

"Well, I'm afraid I don't have enough information to conclude that." the Doctor admitted.

"Jun, could you please go over what happened with us, in detail?" Ken asked. With a flash of insight, Joe understood. Ken was nervous about this Koji guy, enough to want to question Jun about him. Yet his personal issues required him to ask her about Koji in his role as Gatchaman.

"But I've already told you everything!" Jun protested in a huff. Technically this wasn't true, as she had told Dr. Nambu 'everything', and he had related this information to the others. But Joe wanted to know more as well, and so he pushed the issue.

"Something I heard recently didn't sit well with me, Hakase." the Condor said. "That rider Koji Yabane has made a comeback as a stuntbike racer."

Jun gasped in surprise. Clearly this was news to her. That made Joe feel somewhat better about the entire affair.

"Wait… isn't that the 'childhood friend' that Jun was just talking about?" Nambu questioned.

"That's the guy. He's this 'far out' biker who disappeared two years ago." Joe replied.

"Koji Yabane! Yeah! Now I get it!" Jinpei cried happily.

"So what'd you get this time, squirt?" Ryu asked in confusion.

"Don't you see?" Jinpei said in a patronizing tone. "Koji's the one after the nuclear missiles. I'm sure of it! Think! Galactor must be controlling him, and that's why he's doing it! That's got to be it!"

"Jinpei!" scolded the Swan.

"What?"

"Quit making stuff up about my friend!"

"Look, Onechan, I was just trying to help!"

"Just shut the hell up!"

"Don't cuss at me!"

Jun raised a fist threateningly in the air, and Jinpei scooted nervously behind Ryu's back. This whole matter unsettled Joe. Why was Jun so defensive? Obviously this Koji guy meant more to her than she was admitting. And that didn't sit well with the Condor.

"Stop it, you two." Nambu ordered in his best 'fatherly' tone. "Jun, I'm giving you a special mission. I want you to investigate Koji. Okay?"

"Hakase, do you really think Koji's with Galactor?" Jun asked.

"We have no choice but to consider the possibility." the Doctor said.

"I… I can't do it." Jun protested. "I won't!" The Swan turned away from Dr. Nambu. Almost immediately, the Eagle approached and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Jun, what's the matter?" Ken asked solicitously.

"Have you forgotten that you're on the Science Ninja Team?" Joe asked, moving closer.

"We just need to prove that Koji isn't a part of Galactor." Ken reassured Jun. "That's all."

"I know this is my job," Jun said, her face buried in her hands, "but I hate it! I hate having to be suspicious of everyone I see! And to be suspicious of Koji…"

Joe hung his head. Jun's words cut him to the quick. Was that how she saw _him_? As being suspicious of everyone? Joe supposed he was. In their line of work, it didn't pay to trust anyone. The only people he could truly trust were standing here in this room with him.

"I just can't do it!" Jun cried suddenly, running out of the office.

"Wait, Onechan!" Jinpei called after her.

"There she goes again." sighed Ryu, rolling his eyes. "Another fit of hysteria."

Joe felt like belting the Owl. Jun's only crime was that she desperately wanted to retain some of her innocence. And while that was a losing battle, the Condor didn't think she should be punished for it.

"I think she's hiding something about Koji." Ken grimaced.

"Ken, I have a feeling Jun will try to contact Koji, so keep an eye on him." Nambu instructed. "If Jinpei is right, then Koji is under Galactor's control!"

"Yes, Hakase." Ken sighed, and they all turned to leave. As they did, Joe approached Ryu.

"Don't you dare insult Jun like that again." the Condor growled. "She's going through a rough time. You've been there yourself. She doesn't deserve that."

"Hey, I was just saying…"

"Don't ever say it again." Joe held up a fist threateningly.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Joe." Ryu said, backing off.

It wasn't much, but it would have to do for now.

88888

"If I know Jun, she's gone to the Snack." Ken had said. "Let's go check it out."

So now the four ninjas were walking into the J en masse, only to see a despondent Jun at the bar, a glass of water in front of her. Joe understood Jun's sadness, but she needed to get over it, and fast. Jun _had_ to see that Koji wasn't to be trusted.

"Hey, let's dance and cheer her up!" Jinpei suggested, climbing up onto the jukebox to check out the musical selections. But before he could start the machine, Ryu grabbed the boy and slapped a hand over his mouth.

Joe hung back while Ken approached Jun, sitting next to her at the bar.

"Jun, I'm going to watch the race with Joe and the others tomorrow." the Eagle said. "How about it? Want to tag along?" Joe's mouth fell open. This was as close as Ken had ever come to asking Jun out. Surely this would be enough to get her to see their point of view, or at least distract her from the issue at hand.

"Huh?" Jun appeared startled to see that Ken was even there. "To the race? Koji will be racing, won't he?" Joe's anger suddenly flared. Koji! Was that all Jun cared about anymore? Did she really think that this guy whom she'd known two years ago was more important than her teammates?

"Uh… yeah…" Ken stammered.

"I knew it." Jun sighed. "You're keeping an eye on me and Koji, huh? Did Hakase order you to?"

"Yeah, he did." Ken admitted.

The Condor couldn't take it anymore. Why couldn't Jun see that he… that the Science Ninja Team… was more important than Koji? That she should trust _them_, and not Koji? Every member of the Science Ninja Team knew Jun far better than Koji, someone whom Jun hadn't seen or talked to for years. How could she _not_ trust what they were saying, and instead put her faith in this man whose actions were suspect, at best?

The Condor approached the Swan, with the intention of explaining all of this, but somehow, the sight of her downcast form slumped over the bar sent him into an inexplicable fit of rage.

"Stop acting like a spoiled brat!"

Before he could stop it, Joe's hand had flashed out, slapping Jun across the cheek and sending her sprawling down onto the top of the bar. Her glass of water fell to the ground, splintering into a dozen sharp shards that scattered across the floor.

"Joe!" Ken cried, aghast.

Everyone stood in shocked silence, unable to believe what the Condor had just done. For that matter, Joe himself could hardly believe it. He didn't understand what it was about Koji that made him so angry, but when he thought of the guy…

Joe's fists clenched again. He forced his mind away from the thought of hitting, and tried to use words to explain his feelings.

"Look, Jun, whether or not this Koji guy is your friend, we have to watch out for him, or innocent people could die!"

Joe grimaced. He had never been good with words, and it was times like this that he tended to resort to his fists to get a point across. Of course, he had just done that, and he was already feeling an intense regret. He hadn't meant to hurt Jun, nor shout so much.

Jun lay still on the bar, whimpering softly.

"The Science Ninja Team _has_ to investigate him, because he's the only clue we've got right now!" the Condor growled. "Do you follow me?" Joe hoped that he was finally getting his message across.

Jun sat up slowly, her hand pressed to her cheek, where Joe had slapped her. A wave of guilt washed over the Condor, but he pushed it aside. If Jun was finally listening, he couldn't back down now.

"We believe in Koji as a person too." Ken said calmly, as if Joe had never lashed out at all. "If anything, we just want to help him." Joe grimaced. The Eagle was certainly taking the sting out of the Condor's words, and Joe only hoped that Jun would recognize the right thing to do.

"I understand, Ken." Jun said quietly, not looking at Joe. She stood up, a determined expression on her face.

"That's great, Jun." Ken smiled, getting up from his seat. "So, we'll see you at the race tomorrow?"

"Yes." Jun replied, her eyes following Ken as he left the bar. The Eagle paused as he walked by the Condor, a grim expression on his face.

"Fix it." Ken muttered softly, so that only Joe could hear. The Eagle's eyes darted from Joe to Jun. The Condor nodded curtly. Under other circumstances, he might have argued with the order, but it was clear that Ken was right. He had overreacted, and Jun hadn't deserved that kind of lashing out.

Jinpei and Ryu quickly followed behind Ken, eyeing Joe nervously. The Condor glared at the pair, and it was enough to send them scrambling out of the place.

Jun's strength suddenly seemed to evaporate, and she sank back down to her stool, glancing sadly at Joe's hand. When the Condor realized what she was doing, he looked down, ashamed. His eyes focused on his fingers, flexing them in and out as he spoke.

"I'm sorry I hit you, Jun." he mumbled, unable to look at her. "I shouldn't have…"

"Yes, you should have." Jun whispered.

"What?"

"I deserved to be hit. I've been hiding the truth from myself, and from all of you, and it isn't right."

"What truth, Jun?" Joe asked, cautiously sitting down beside her, in the seat Ken had so recently occupied.

"About Koji…"

"What about Koji?"

"I didn't tell Hakase _everything_." Jun admitted quietly. "I wanted to protect Koji… but you're right. He probably _is_ with Galactor, and I've got to face up to it. He's our best lead right now." It was clearly difficult for the Swan to say these words, but she wore a resolute expression, as she had a few moments ago, when she had been speaking with the Eagle.

"What didn't you tell Hakase?" Joe probed.

"The men that Koji was riding with…" Jun said sadly, hanging her head, "they were Blackbirds. And… they called him 'Captain'."

Joe's fingers clenched again. Jun had been trying to protect this scum? This time, he was able to reign in his emotions, but his grasp on that kind of control remained tenuous.

"I didn't want to face it, Joe." Jun tried to explain. "I didn't want to believe that my friend… someone I had been close to… was part of Galactor."

"Galactor is insidious, Jun." Joe lectured her. "They can get to almost anyone. That's why you can't trust anyone outside of the Team. You just never know."

"I understand that, now." Jun hung her head. "You were right, what you said. And I deserved what you did, because I was hiding something I shouldn't have hidden."

"The important thing is that now we're going to make it right." the Condor promised.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The Condor crouched down low behind the bleachers, out of sight of the excited crowd, but still able to keep an eye on what was going on. It was his responsibility to ensure that President Zabal remained safe. Although Utoland was officially governed by a Prime Minister, the President had a ceremonial position, and was well-known and loved by the people. Zabal enjoyed watching the professional motorcycle races for which his country was famous, and Dr. Nambu was concerned about the President's safety during such a public event. The Doctor had entrusted Joe with this mission.

Of course, the Condor had backup. Ryu was standing by, ready to pilot the God Phoenix, and Jinpei was close as well, ready to act if Joe should ask. Ken and Jun were in the stands, below the Condor's position. They were in their civilian uniforms, blending in with the spectators. Of course, all of this gave Jun the best view of the race.

And in the end, that was _really_ why they were there. Koji Yabane was participating in this race, and they all wanted to keep an eye on the guy.

Of course Jun's motives in 'keeping an eye' on Koji were probably a little more innocent than everyone else's. Joe's still couldn't completely suppress the surge of anger he felt just thinking about the way Jun had defended the guy. It had been this anger that had caused him to slap Jun just the previous evening.

Joe flexed his hand, the memory bothering him more than he wanted to admit, even to himself. The Condor had belted the Eagle more than a few times during a disagreement, and had smacked Jinpei frequently for his smart mouth. Even good-natured Ryu had occasionally been the target of a punch or two from Joe.

But never Jun… _until now_.

The Condor felt guilty about hitting the Swan. She had needed to be brought back to her senses, but had that actually been the right way to go about it?

It seemed that violence was the only language that Joe Asakura truly understood. He had fallen low enough to be hitting a girl; no matter that this particular girl could dish out a beating almost as well as he could.

The race began, and Koji took an early lead. This was something Joe could appreciate. Motorcycles were not cars, but enough of the same racing principles applied that the Condor was able to recognize and acknowledge the superior driving skills of Koji Yabane.

For a brief moment, Joe almost admired the man.

And then, any fledgling admiration instantly disappeared as Koji threw the race.

To everyone else, it probably just looked like Koji was slowing down. But being an expert racer himself, Joe could see that there was no legitimate reason for it. The motorcycle was undamaged, Koji was uninjured, and neither the track nor the competition had gotten more difficult. There was no justifiable cause for a driver of Koji Yabane's caliber to slow down.

Koji now lagged behind all of the other bikes. He was approaching the President's position in the stands. As he was passing the bleachers full of spectators, Koji's bike leapt off of the racetrack and onto a set of steps ascending up to the President's Box. The crowd screamed in fear as the motorcycle raced through their midst, but the driver didn't pay them any notice.

Koji Yabane was completely focused on President Zabal.

Fortunately for the President, Condor Joe was completely focused on Koji Yabane.

Even as the Condor raced up to a better position in the stands, the nose of Koji's motorcycle opened up, and a large, spinning drill emerged, clearly targeted at the wall of the President's Box. Even as he drove up the steps, Koji pulled out a large rifle, using his feet to control his vehicle. Despite himself, Joe found that he was impressed by the motorcycle rider's degree of skill.

But not enough to let him win.

Steadying his shot with his forearm and taking careful aim, the Condor fired his gun, shooting out the sights on Koji's weapon. It was enough. The Blackbird Captain's motorcycle sailed over President Zabal's box, spraying bullets everywhere. But Koji's aim without his sights was poor, and Joe saw the President being safely bundled away from the hail of gunfire by his security guards.

Koji had failed.

The Blackbird Captain's motorcycle sailed over the top of the stands and out of the spectator area, landing on an access stairway and quickly driving down to the parking lot below. Joe, Jinpei and Ryu ran to the edge of the stands just in time to see Koji being met by a squadron of motorcycle-riding Blackbirds, who trailed after him as he sped away from the scene.

"Come on!" the Condor shouted, not about to lose his prey. He jumped off the edge of the four-storey-high stadium, gliding down to the parking lot and the waiting G-2 below him.

"Bombs away!" shouted Jinpei, following suit.

"Oh boy." sighed Ryu, taking up the rear.

Within seconds, the G-2 and the G-4 were in pursuit of the Blackbird motorcycle gang, while Ryu was moving to intercept using the God Phoenix. It didn't take long for Joe and Jinpei to catch up with Koji and his men.

However, it was just enough time for the Blackbirds to arrange a 'welcome' for the Condor. The Galactor motorcycles began shooting rockets from their tailpipes, all of them aimed straight at the G-2.

Hovering in the air, the G-4 was unaffected, but Joe found himself quickly swerving to avoid the oncoming missiles. Snarling, the Condor reached for his gun, then leaned out of his vehicle window to take aim.

The cablegun's bullets intercepted one of the oncoming missiles, causing it to explode harmlessly away from the G-2. The G-4's mouth opened up, revealing the Swallow's laser weapon. Jinpei fired, destroying the remaining rockets being sent toward his teammate.

But no sooner was that threat eliminated than clouds of thick, purple smoke began to pour forth from the Blackbird vehicles. To the Condor, it almost seemed as if Berg Katse's purple cape was being thrown over the G-2 to obscure his vision.

The smoke billowed high enough to obscure the G-4 from the Condor's view, and he worked frantically to emerge from the dusky haze, driving blind and on pure instinct alone.

And now that instinct was telling him to swerve.

At the last moment, Joe realized that it had been this impulse to turn the car that had saved his life. A wall of rock suddenly appeared in front of him, and the Condor was able to alter his course quickly enough to drive with one set of wheels on top of it, at a forty-five degree angle to the ground, before returning to the road. But it was too late.

The Blackbirds were gone.

The Swallow set the G-4 down beside the Condor's vehicle, and a moment later the God Phoenix arrived on the scene as well. Far above them in the sky, the sight of the G-1 was visible among the clouds.

"This is Gatchaman." came Ken's voice from Joe's wrist. "Come in, G2 and G4. Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine, but we lost that bastard!" the Condor ranted.

"It's pretty darn tough, Aniki!" Jinpei's voice replied. "What are we going to do?"

"I bet that Koji's heading back to a Galactor secret base right now." the Eagle surmised.

"We've got a bigger problem, guys." Ryu's voice interrupted the conversation. "I haven't seen Jun!"

"Hey, you're right, Ryu!" Ken was taken aback. "Where the heck did she go?"

The Condor had a sinking feeling that he knew _exactly_ where the Swan had gone.

88888

When they boarded the God Phoenix, the Eagle directed the Condor to sit up front, in Gatchaman's usual seat.

"I need to check something in the weapons systems." Ken explained.

Joe didn't buy it, but he didn't protest as the Eagle took the Condor's chair, while Joe proceeded to the front of the Bridge. Gatchaman clearly wanted some privacy, and the Condor wasn't about to take that from him.

Unfortunately, they didn't have much of an idea of where to go, other than to follow the road upon which the Blackbirds had been traveling. Joe kept an eye out from the front of the Bridge, in order to check for signs of anything unusual.

However it wasn't the Condor's vigilance that gave them their lead. The Eagle's bracelet began to beep with an incoming communication.

"This is G3 calling. G1, please respond! Ken, this is horrible! They're going to kill Koji!"

"Calm down!" the Eagle ordered. "We'll come to help you! Just tell us where you are!"

"I'm at the Prime Minister's mansion." the Swan revealed. "It must be Galactor's secret base!"

"All right. We're on our way." Ken told her. "Don't make any moves until we get there, okay?"

But if the Eagle truly believed that the Swan was going to sit by and wait, then he didn't know her at all.

When they arrived on the scene a few minutes later, Joe wasn't surprised to see Jun racing down the road on the G-3, being chased by a squadron of Blackbirds on motorcycles.

"Pick her up, Ryu." Ken instructed.

"Yeah, once the G-3 is onboard, I'll be able to fire some Bird Missiles." Joe said grimly.

A few moments later, the door at the rear of the Bridge opened, revealing a quiet Swan.

"Jun, is everything all right?" Ken asked. The tone of the Eagle's voice suggested that he was speaking with the Swan about an evening at the Snack J, rather than about her having broken orders to enter a Galactor base without permission.

"Hey, Onechan, I was worried about you." Jinpei admitted, as Jun sat down.

She did not answer, but remained silent as she attended to the duties of her station.

"Let's start the assault on Galactor's secret base." the Eagle ordered, turning away from the unresponsive Swan.

"I sure am ready to shoot those guys some Birds!" the Condor replied.

As the God Phoenix had been coming around, the Blackbirds had begun driving their motorcycles in a circle, and now they were moving so fast that they were nearly a blur. Still, Joe was able to see metal connectors coming out of each bike, attaching each vehicle to the ones in front and behind. Protective shielding rose up to cover all of the drivers, and the bike that Koji was riding took on the appearance of a giant serpentine head.

Side rockets fired, and suddenly the metallic snake was flying in the air, undulating and moving to meet the God Phoenix.

"Oh man, they turned into a giant serpent!" Ryu exclaimed.

"They're trying to make fools out of us!" Joe said angrily.

"Stay cool." Ken advised them both.

Ryu flew the God Phoenix away, attempting to see what kind of defenses this new mecha would have to offer. Within moments, the snake was shooting rockets at the red and blue warship, but these armaments had no effect on the God Phoenix's shielding.

"The God Phoenix can't be destroyed by your little missiles, you dimwits!" Ryu grinned.

"Let's counter-strike with some Bird Missiles!" Joe suggested, reaching for the red firing button.

"Wait!" the Swan cried, grabbing at the Condor's arm.

Joe's anger, which had been directed at the Galactor mecha in front of him, suddenly focused on Jun. What the hell was she thinking? After all of this, she _still_ wanted to protect that damn Koji? There was no doubt that the guy was working for Galactor; heck, they had just seen him become the head of the mecha that was now trying to destroy the God Phoenix!

"Hey, get off of me!" the Condor shouted, pushing the Swan away. "You still don't get it, do you? You're going to get us all killed!"

"That's not it." Jun refuted his assumption. "_I want to do it_. With my own hand! I want to fire the Bird Missile myself!"

A surge of pride swelled through Joe. _This_ was the Jun he knew: strong and independent, and not about to let Galactor walk all over her. Yet at the same time, a finger of doubt niggled at the back of his mind. What if Jun wanted to take control, simply so she could save Koji? It was a disturbing thought.

Still, Jun was his teammate, and his friend. She deserved the benefit of the doubt.

"Okay then, Jun. Just don't screw up." Joe warned her.

The glass cover over the firing button retracted, and the God Phoenix came around to give Jun a clear shot at the serpent mecha. But before they could get into position, the serpent's head grabbed its tail, and the entire creature began spinning rapidly, surprising the Owl, who gave a yelp from his control station.

Before Ryu could avoid the spinning serpent, it had wrapped itself around the starboard wing, close to the G-4 Bay. From there it spread out to slide along the hull of the God Phoenix, crushing the ship from the outside. Cracks began to appear on the wall in front of the Swallow's station.

"Aw, damn it!" Ken swore. "At this rate, we can't even launch a Bird Missile!"

A whining, whirring noise was heard, and suddenly a sharp, spinning saw blade emerged through the cracks above Jinpei's console.

"Aaaah!" cried the Swallow, leaping back in fear.

"Those saws are slicing up the God Phoenix like a cheap pizza!" Ken shouted.

"Ken, the control lever… it's not budging!" The Owl's face was contorted with his effort to maneuver the warship under these conditions.

The God Phoenix began to plummet toward the ground.

"I've got an idea." the Eagle announced. "Maintain our descent. When we reach maximum velocity, pull up!"

"I'll try!" the Owl acknowledged. "We might as well give it a try, Ken!"

The Swan clung to the Owl, partly to keep her balance, and partly in fear.

"That will be your only chance to blast them with a Bird Missile, Jun." the Condor warned her.

"Our altitude is two thousand meters!" Ryu called out. "Fifteen hundred!"

Everyone was tightly gripping the consoles in front of their positions.

"One thousand… eight hundred… five hundred… four hundred… Oh, man!"

Sweat began to pour down the Owl's face.

"Two hundred!"

"Pull up, Ryu!" shouted Ken. "Pull up!"

The Owl shifted the levers that controlled the God Phoenix's movement, and the blue and red warship shot into the air, brushing by the roof of the Prime Minister's residence, sending shingles flying into the air. The sudden change in force caused the serpent mecha to lose its hold, and it flew off of the God Phoenix, crashing into the mansion below.

"Come on!" Joe encouraged Jun. "Now's your big chance!"

Ryu turned the God Phoenix around, so that it was headed back toward the Prime Minister's mansion.

Jun hesitated only for a second, then pressed the red button that launched the Bird Missiles.

"Koji…" she whispered.

The Swan's aim was true, and the Prime Minister's residence exploded in a fiery blast, bright orange-red flames shooting into the sky. The God Phoenix leveled off, then began circling the area, observing the remains of what had been a Galactor mecha and secret base.

Jun had collapsed on top of the missile launcher. The Swan was clearly distraught over what she had forced herself to do, but in the end, she had done the right thing.

The Condor had never been prouder of her than he was at that moment. Jun had been able to put her personal feelings aside and perform her duty as a Science Ninja; placing her loyalty to the Team above her friendship with Koji.

Joe wanted to say something to Jun, to express his feelings in words. After all, he had been the hardest on Jun over the past couple of days. But something stuck in his throat, and he found himself unable to voice his thoughts.

While the Condor struggled with his words, the Eagle approached the Swan.

"I'm proud of you, Jun." Ken said, pulling her finger from the firing button. But the Swan yanked her fingers from the Eagle's hand, slamming her fists down onto the console in tearful release.

"I just killed Koji…"

Ken's face was frozen in an expression of shock. His posture was stiff, as if he wasn't entirely certain what to do in the face of Jun's reaction.

"I know it was difficult for you to do this, Jun," Joe said calmly, "but you did the right thing."

"Why does the right thing have to hurt so much?" The Swan's eyes filled with tears as she regarded the Condor.

Joe stood up, gently pulling the Swan with him and helping her back to her workstation. The Eagle sat briskly down in his command chair at practically the moment that the Condor had vacated it, almost as if to distance himself from his subordinate's emotions.

Joe himself returned to his usual seat, just as Ken ordered Ryu to land the God Phoenix a few hundred meters from the scene.

By silent agreement, all five members of the Science Ninja Team exited the God Phoenix, transforming to their civilian attire, then walked wordlessly through the woods back to the flaming wreckage that had once been the Prime Minister's mansion, surveying the blaze with their own eyes.

After a few moments, Jun stepped forward, reaching for something on the ground.

Koji's helmet.

Jun picked up the broken helmet, cradling it in her arms as she stared out at the open water.

No one said a word. The other four ninjas hung back, allowing the Swan to have her private farewell with Koji.

When Jun finally turned back, her face streaked with tears, they all retreated into the woods, returning to the God Phoenix.

Ken took the lead, placing as much distance between himself and Jun as he could. Ryu and Jinpei shuffled their feet, staring at the ground as they walked. This left Joe to bring up the rear with Jun.

"Will it ever stop hurting, Joe?"

He had to answer truthfully. Thinking of Lucy, there was only one answer he could give.

"No."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The entire journey home was a silent one. The Swan's head hung down and she maintained a tight grip on Koji's helmet, which lay in her lap. By unspoken agreement, the Swallow took over all of her duties. By the time they had docked at the Crescent Coral Base, the strained atmosphere was beginning to take its toll on everyone. The Eagle rushed off of the Bridge, ostensibly to give a report to Dr. Nambu, and was quickly followed by the Owl and the Swallow. The Condor stood up to join them, but the sight of the desolate Swan sitting alone at her console held him back. Hesitantly, he approached her chair.

"Jun?"

She turned to face him, and Joe could see the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Joe…" she whispered, her desperate eyes looking up at him. "Just… get me out of here… please…"

Wordlessly, the Condor took the Swan's arm, guiding her up and out of her seat and away from the Bridge. Joe noted that Jun took Koji's helmet with her, but chose not to comment on this. As soon as they had disembarked the God Phoenix, Joe led Jun to a nearby conference room. The chamber was dark, lit only by a small amount of filtered sunlight coming in through the water beyond the windows. But when Joe reached for the light switch, Jun stopped him.

"No…" she sighed, dropping into a chair. "Keep them off."

The Condor nodded, transforming back to civilian clothes and moving to sit beside the Swan. Jun also transformed, and when the bright white light of her change had faded away, she looked more scared than Joe had ever seen her before.

"What have I done?" she whispered hoarsely, her hands clutching at the motorcycle helmet in her lap.

"You did the right thing, Jun." Joe told her. "I know I've been hard on you for the past couple of days, and it's been difficult for you. But if you hadn't destroyed that mecha, we'd all be dead right now."

"No." Jun shook her head. "If I hadn't done it, then _you_ would have done it. And then maybe I wouldn't be sitting here feeling so guilty…"

"Don't feel guilty." the Condor ordered her, grasping the Swan's face in his hands and forcing her to look at him. "It isn't _your_ fault. By choosing to work for Galactor, Koji also chose death. The death you gave him was swift and merciful."

"Is that how you do it, Joe?" Jun asked tearfully. "Is that how you can fire the Bird Missiles so casually and kill all of those people?"

"I know that the ships and mecha I destroy are filled with Galactor scum. The same Galactor scum we fight on _every_ mission. The same Galactor scum that fills the bases you are so good at destroying with your explosive charges."

"So, then… you've only killed Galactors. You've never had to use those Bird Missiles to kill a _friend_…"

"I did… _once_."

"When was that?" Jun asked, confused. "I don't recall you ever…"

"That's because the friend I was destroying was _you_." Joe admitted. "I shot a Bird Missile into a field of Jigokiller flowers and killed you."

"But Joe, you _didn't_ kill me."

"At the time, I thought I had. It was no different from what you feel right now. In fact, I think it was worse. I'm not even sure how I got through the guilt I was feeling at the time."

"What made it go away?"

"Finding out that you were alive. Setting out to find you. Having a chance to right my wrong."

"Except, I'm not going to have that same chance, am I?" Jun said, placing Koji's helmet on the table next to her.

"He's gone, Jun." Joe admitted. "But that's how it had to be. He chose Galactor. But if we fight, we can prevent other people from having to make that same choice."

"I know." Jun nodded, but her eyes held a faraway expression. "I just wish that no one ever _wanted_ to make that choice."

88888

"Report, Suto!"

"She's all repaired, Captain. Not that there was much to repair. There was hardly a scratch on her!"

While the Chief Engineer's words were meant as a compliment, they only grated on Kentaro. _Of course_ there was no damage to the Recovery Vehicle they had used for their most recent mission! It wasn't like there had been any _potential_ for damage; any _danger_. Ever since their last RhinoGilla mission, Captain Black and his men had been routinely assigned to little more than supply runs: obtaining resources and weapons, and recruiting new troops.

None of these things were worthy of him.

Kentaro suspected that Berg Katse was responsible for his low level assignments. The purple mutant had destroyed RhinoGilla, not to mention at least one other mecha, during the time that Captain Black had been assigned these meaningless tasks.. Yet somehow, Sosai continue to overlook Katse's incompetence, while at the same time ignoring Kentaro's abilities!

At least Katse hadn't been able to take away Kentaro's men. They had been aboard RhinoGilla at the time that Katse had faced down the God Phoenix, but once Suto had heard that the Science Ninja Team was aboard the mecha, he had gathered his team and gotten out. Suto had actually encouraged the new recruits from Mount Jupiter Penitentiary to join them, but they had refused, preferring to face the Science Ninja Team and fight. Fools! From what Kentaro had read in the secret reports, those goons had been paralyzed by nevrasine gas, and then had been physically unable to flee when the mecha had exploded.

The Science Ninja Team, while led by Kentaro's incompetent son, was at least good enough to routinely foil Berg Katse. But why couldn't Sosai see that this inept idiot wasn't deserving of the loyalty the alien entity bestowed upon him?

Captain Black's patience was coming to an end. He couldn't wait much longer before making a decisive move. If Sosai wouldn't get rid of Berg Katse, then it would be up to Kentaro Washio to complete that task.

88888

There was only one vehicle ahead of him, and one lap to go in the race, but Joe Asakura wasn't in the least discouraged. In fact, this last obstacle between his car and victory only created a strong rush of adrenaline in his veins. This was a problem easily solved, and one in which he had experience.

Car number two moved to pass on the right, but the leader car, number fourteen, swerved to prevent this maneuver. Number two moved left, and again, number fourteen altered its position to block its challenger. Only half a lap to go, and number fourteen still held onto its lead.

Car number two moved far left, practically riding on the retaining wall surrounding the track, and car number fourteen obligingly inched over even further, impeding the vehicle behind him.

Without warning, car number two sped over to the far right, shooting around car number fourteen and taking the lead position, only five hundred meters from the finish line. From that point, it was simply a heady rush as car number two practically flew across the finish line, and Joe Asakura claimed victory in the International Speedway 500.

The roar from the spectators was a wall of sound crashing over him. The moment he pulled to a stop, his car was surrounded by more people than he could count: other drivers, reporters, pit crew, cameramen, even racing groupies who had come down from the stands. He could barely get his door open in the crush of human beings eager to greet him.

"Joe Asakura!" shouted one reporter as he opened his door an inch. "How does it feel to have won the International Speedway 500? This victory places you as the number six ranked driver on the Speedcar Circuit."

Joe managed to open the door another inch, only to find a camera pressed up against the small space that was his opening to the rest of the world.

"Give him some room!" laughed a man in a business suit, stepping forward. The rowdy onlookers moved aside for the President of the Speedcar Racing Association.

"Come with me, Mr. Asakura." the President smiled, allowing his bubble of personal space to extend to car number two's door.

"Don't mind if I do." smirked Joe, exiting his car and moving forward with the SRA President. The two men walked to a large grandstand that faced the spectator stands, a small army of people behind them. Another group of officials in business suits was there to greet Joe, and as he approached one of them held out a giant silver trophy.

The entire presentation ceremony was a blur for Joe, and he mechanically accepted both the trophy and the check that were his prizes for winning the race. Moving up in the driver rankings was not insignificant either; he had jumped ten spots simply by winning this, the most prestigious race in which he had ever competed. Even the World Custom Car Rally in Africa was nothing compared to this… and he had done it completely on his own.

Screaming girls in heavy makeup and tight, revealing clothes reached out to him from the edge of the grandstand. Camera flashes appeared from all angles, and a slew of microphones were thrust into his face to catch his reactions as Joe Asakura claimed his reward. For an instant, it seemed as if the entire world was present, and participating in the intense adulation for the latest Speedcar racing champion.

And yet, he was alone.

There was no one he knew. None of the faces were familiar to him; even his pit crew was composed of men he had met only that morning. At that moment, everyone wanted a piece of Joe Asakura, from the reporters looking for the best sound bite, to the girls who wanted to share his bed.

Something was missing.

The ache inside of him was a familiar one, and yet today, it took front and center stage; refusing to be ignored, as he was usually able to do. Smiling broadly, Joe Asakura stepped down from the grandstand and into the crowd, doing his duty and meeting with the press, waving to the fans, and stopping to sign a few autographs. But when it was all over, he ignored the onlookers and groupies hanging around the exit to the racetrack. He simply passed by those stragglers, eager to get back to his hotel, and the solitude that occasions like this demanded.

He glanced over at his bracelet as he drove, almost willing it to light up with a call, whether it be a global emergency, a summons to Dr. Nambu's office, or simply a message from his teammates. But his communicator remained stubbornly silent.

He opened the door to his hotel room, casually tossing aside the hard-won trophy and throwing himself down on the bed. He placed his hands underneath his head and stared up at the ceiling, finally allowing the gnawing feeling inside of him to take over and run its course.

He didn't want to be alone.

Being alone had always been a choice for Joe Asakura. He had consciously kept himself apart from others, only allowing himself to truly relax with a select few individuals; the ones whom he considered to be his family. But his family wasn't here, now, at the moment of his greatest triumph of his civilian life.

Of course, he couldn't really blame them. Katse had been throwing mecha after mecha at them, and things had calmed down significantly since their most recent mission: searching through the Antarctic for a suspected Galactor base. That particular base had turned out only to be a trap for the Science Ninja Team, as they had only encountered an old man in a tank, shooting at the G-machines with a freeze ray gun. It had been after that mission that Ken had finally understood what Joe had been telling him all along: their G-machines needed weapons.

They had returned to the Crescent Coral Base, and Dr. Nambu had set his research teams to the task of creating weapons for the Science Ninja Team's vehicles. It had proved to be an opportune time for such a project, as Galactor had lain low since that time.

Of course, it was likely that Berg Katse was planning something, but without knowing the exact location of Galactor's Headquarters, there wasn't much the Science Ninja Team could do about it, other than wait for the next inevitable attack. When the Condor had expressed his frustration at having their hands tied in this manner, Dr. Nambu had calmly suggested that everyone take some time off. Jinpei and Ryu had gone to the Owl's marina and were running fishing charters. Jun was working at the Snack J. Ken had flown off in his plane, running air deliveries and doing errands for Dr. Nambu, while Joe had spent his days doing laps around the Utoland Raceway track, each one only adding to his anger.

After a couple of days, the Doctor had informed Joe that the ISO had entered him into the International Speedway 500, and this race had proved an effective distraction. But now it was over, and all that Joe was left with was a useless trophy and a large check.

What did he need to buy, anyhow? It wasn't like he wanted anything more than his car, and his trailer. Where would he ever spend money…?

With a grin, Joe stood up. If he checked out now and drove all night, he could be back to Utoland by morning.

88888

He had had to stop for a brief rest around three am, but a couple of hours' sleep at a truck stop had refreshed Joe enough to get him back on the road. His first stop in Utoland had been the bank. Now it was approaching lunchtime, and he found himself pulling up to his second destination: the Snack J.

"Anyone here?" Joe called as he entered the restaurant.

"Just a minute!" came Jun's voice from behind the counter. After a moment, a dusty, disheveled Swan stood up to greet her customer.

"Joe!" she grinned widely. "It's great to see you! And congratulations! I saw you on the evening news last night."

"My ugly face made it all the way over to Utoland, huh?" Joe smirked. He found himself pleased that Jun had watched news reports of his victory.

"I wouldn't call it ugly." Jun winked. "Perhaps more… rugged."

"'Rugged' is something I can live with." Joe nodded.

"So what can I get for you?"

"Beer and a sandwich."

"Coming right up!" The Swan turned to head into the kitchen.

"Wait a minute… isn't Jinpei going to make it?"

"He's still off with Ryu." Jun shrugged, but her expression grew indignant when she saw the dismay on Joe's face.

"I can make a sandwich, you know." she lectured, pointing her finger at the Condor.

"That remains to be seen." he laughed.

"Just you wait!"

It felt good to be back.

A few minutes later, Jun came back with the beer and the sandwich, and Joe invited her to sit with him while he ate. Silently, he agreed with the Swan's earlier statement. She _was_ capable of making a cold sandwich.

"I have something for you." he said between mouthfuls. Casually, he reached into his jeans pocket, pulling out a wad of bills.

"Joe… what's all of this?" Jun gasped, her eyes popping at the sight of hundred dollar bills.

"My race winnings." he grinned. No need to tell her that this was only a small portion of his earnings the previous afternoon.

"Why are you giving them to me?"

"It's for Ken's tab." Joe told her. "I know you aren't exactly raking in the cash here, what with having to run off at a moment's notice all of the time, and it's got to hurt giving Ken those free meals every day."

"I…"

Jun's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. She looked at Joe, her eyes bright.

"Thank you." she whispered, leaning over the bar to press a soft kiss onto his cheek.

He suppressed the urge to grin foolishly, returning to his sandwich with renewed vigor.

Just as he was finishing up, Jun's bracelet lit up.

"Jun, this is Ryu. Come in."

"What's up, Ryu?" Jun asked.

"Is Jinpei there?"

"No… I thought he was with you, at your marina." The Swan's face took on a worried frown.

"He was." Ryu admitted. "But then yesterday he disappeared. He had been taking out some customers for me, and when he got back he said that he just had to go somewhere. I thought he'd come back for dinner, or at least breakfast this morning, but he hasn't, yet."

"He'll be okay, Jun." the Condor reassured the Swan. "He may not look it, but he's a Science Ninja. He can take care of himself."

"Is that you, Joe?" Ryu asked, his voice full of relief. "He's right, Jun. Jinpei knows enough to contact us if there's a problem."

"If that's what you think, then why were you calling me and asking where he was?" Jun questioned, her hand on her hip.

"Uh…"

"Have you tried to contact Jinpei?" Joe smoothly interceded for the beleaguered Owl.

"Yeah, he's not answering his bracelet." Ryu admitted.

"Then, let's report this to Hakase." Joe said calmly. "Just in case."

"Okay." Jun agreed.

Dr. Nambu's initial reaction was similar to the Condor's, but he agreed that the rest of the Science Ninja Team should remain on high alert, in case the Swallow attempted to contact them for help. It turned out to be the right course of action, as only a few hours later, just as the Eagle arrived at the Crescent Coral Base, Jinpei called in.

"This is G4 to G1! I've found a Galactor base, approximately one thousand kilometers south of Utoland!"

"He found a base?" Ryu choked.

"Send us your position, Jinpei!" Ken ordered. Jinpei transmitted his location, then asked the rest of the team to join him.

"They've apparently got some big mecha in there that's supposed to defeat us." the Swallow laughed mockingly.

"Don't go in there alone, Jinpei!" Ken ordered. "Wait for us!"

"Can't hear you!" the Swallow smirked. "Just hurry up and get here!"

The communication ended suddenly, and no one was surprised when Ken ordered the Science Ninja Team to the God Phoenix.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Birdscramble!"

The Condor's wrist was flashing a multi-colored signal, even as the Swan was removing her bracelet and placing it into the tracking device on her wall console.

"It's Jinpei!" Jun stated the obvious in her distress. Since the other four members of the Science Ninja Team were present on the God Phoenix, there was no doubt as to the sender of the emergency indicatior. "I'm sending you the co-ordinates now, Ryu."

"I've got it, Jun." the Owl reassured her. "We'll be there shortly."

"Please hurry, Ryu." the Swan urged. Her face was white and drawn, and the Condor could see the toll this was taking on her. While it wasn't unusual for the Swallow to take off on his own, having this happen so soon after Koji's death had to be emotionally stressful for Jun.

The Eagle glanced back, attempting to casually look behind him, without making it appear that he was interested in what the Swan was doing. Joe's gaze caught Ken's, and the Condor jerked his head to the right, grimly indicating that the Eagle should offer some comfort to his distressed officer. But Gatchaman turned away, choosing to ignore the unspoken message. Joe grimaced, angry with Ken for ignoring Jun at a time like this.

The God Phoenix plunged into the ocean waters, moving steadily toward their unknown destination.

"How much longer, Ryu?"

"Another few minutes, I think. The signal was moving, but it seems to have stopped."

"Do you think Jinpei is on a mecha, then?" Jun ask worriedly.

"I think that's a yes." Joe muttered grimly, as a small, dark image emerged in the center of the main viewscreen. It began as an inky black circle, but as they approached, thin black legs became visible.

"Eight legs…" Ken mused. "A spider?"

"Trust Galactor to come up with a creepy bug mecha." Jun shuddered.

"Trust Jinpei to find himself a bug to play with!" Ryu laughed.

"We'll exterminate it with a couple of Birds," Joe promised, "once Jinpei's out of there."

"G4, this is G1. Do you read me?" Ken called into his bracelet. But there was no response.

As if Galactor sensed Gatchaman's attempt to contact the missing Swallow, the Spider's multiple eyes lit up, eight bright red laser beams shooting out toward the God Phoenix. Without missing a beat, the Owl executed evasive maneuvers, easily avoiding the assault through the judicious use of underwater thrusters.

Rather than seeing the futility in this type of attack, the Spider mecha continued to shoot out laser beams, which Ryu continued to avoid.

"Move closer to it, Ryu." Joe urged. "I want to send a Bird Missile into its beam generator."

"Jinpei…" the Swan whispered.

"I'm just going to disable it, Jun." the Condor reassured her.

"It's a good idea." Ken agreed.

"Moving in, Joe!" the Owl called.

"Closer…" Joe muttered. "Now!"

The Condor's blue-gloved finger pressed down on the red firing button, and a silvery Bird Missile streaked forth from the God Phoenix, toward the power generator in the exact center of the Spider mecha's circle of laser-beam-shooting eyes.

A perfect shot.

The explosion sent waves of force rippling through the water, but when their view cleared, there appeared to be no damage to the Galactor vessel.

"What the hell?" Joe cursed, his fist slamming down on the missile launcher again and again. "Why isn't it doing anything?"

"Galactor's shielding technology has clearly improved." Ken said wryly. "I think we need to…"

"Watch out!" Ryu shouted. The God Phoenix jerked as the Spider moved to wrap one of its legs around the red and blue warship. But while the Owl was able to swerve away from one arm, the warship wasn't capable of avoiding four attacking at once. Within moments, the God Phoenix was trapped within the Spider mecha's grip.

"Fire all thrusters, Ryu!" Ken ordered.

"I _am_ firing all thrusters!" the pilot shot back. The Owl's irritation wasn't with the Eagle's request, but with the knowledge that their next obvious course of action was completely ineffective under water: the Science Ninja Technique: Firebird.

"Ken, the God Phoenix is breaking apart!" the Swan cried, as large cracks appeared in the wall above her workstation.

"I can't pull out of it, Ken!" Ryu reported, as he maneuvered the warship in every possible combination of flight patterns.

"We're going to have a serious hull breach in about a minute if this keeps up!" Joe shouted. "We'll start taking on water!"

"What if I pull out in the Helicobuggy and try to maneuver around…?" Ken thought aloud.

"It might distract them long enough to allow me to break free." Ryu agreed. "Give it a try, Ken!"

But even as the Eagle ran for the Bridge exit, the Spider mecha lurched, and one of the arms grappling the God Phoenix came free. It appeared as if there had been some kind of minor explosion aboard the Galactor craft.

"What a break!" Ryu exclaimed, swiftly adjusting the levers and controls that adorned his console. The warship shifted, and the terrible groaning sound ceased.

"Almost there…" Jun whispered, her hands clasped together hopefully.

A portion of the Spider's head shot off from the main body of the mecha, moving swiftly away from the God Phoenix.

"Is it another attack?" Ryu asked fearfully.

"No, it's Katse's escape pod!" Joe growled. "That bastard is leaving because the damn mecha is about to blow up!"

"I'm on it!" the Owl grunted, exerting all of his effort into pulling at the main thrusters lever. With a loud shout, the pilot was able to jerk the God Phoenix free, and as soon as the warship was clear of the Spider's grasping arms, they moved quickly away. The God Phoenix was followed by scores of smaller pods from the Galactor ship, which completely exploded only moments after the Science Ninja Team had gotten out of range.

"No! Jinpei's on that mecha!" Jun cried in dismay.

"Are you still receiving his Birdscramble, Jun?" Ken asked urgently.

"No, it stopped just before we reached the mecha."

"Then he might not even have been onboard, Jun." Joe tried to reassure her. "Try to contact him now."

"We need to surface, Ken!" the Owl reported. "We've taken on too much water!"

"And we need to search for Jinpei!" the Swan added.

"Surface." the Eagle reluctantly agreed.

The God Phoenix burst forth to the ocean's surface, bobbing on the water as its occupants checked the ship for damage.

"I'll get the pumps started to bail out the water." Joe volunteered.

"And I'll patch up the hull breach so we can go back underwater." Ryu added.

"I'm searching for any sign of Jinpei." Jun declared.

"I'll assess our other damages." Ken nodded, heading off of the Bridge with Joe and Ryu.

"Do you think Jun's going to find anything?" Ryu asked quietly, once they were out of the Swan's earshot.

"If there's anything to find, Jun will find it." Joe replied grimly. The Condor knew that the Swallow had gotten out of tight spots before, but this looked bad. Unless Jinpei had managed to find his way onto one of those escape pods… but then Joe realized that this was actually quite possible. And if the boy had done such a thing, his big sister would be sure to locate him.

"We won't give up looking until we know what happened to Jinpei." Ken said cautiously.

It didn't take long for Joe and Ryu to complete their tasks and return to the Bridge. Just as they stepped back to their stations their bracelets lit up, and Jun gave a small shout of joy.

"It's another Birdscramble!" she cried happily. "Jinpei!"

The signal didn't last for long, but the Swan was able to determine that it had been coming from the direction in which the portion of the Spider mecha's head had gone.

"He's on Katse's escape pod?" Ryu asked, amazed.

"That sounds like the Jinpei I know." Joe chuckled. The Swallow was as brazen as they came, and the Condor could certainly believe that the boy had snuck onto Berg Katse's craft.

"The God Phoenix has sustained a fair bit of damage to its engines." Ken informed them. "We can go after Jinpei, but we'll have a limited time at our top speed. Can we make it, Ryu?"

"I'll make sure we do." the Owl said, a determined growl in his voice. The pilot fired up the engines and dove the God Phoenix immediately into the water, heading toward the last known position of Jinpei's Birdscramble.

"Jun, based on how long it took us to receive Jinpei's signal, and his distance from the Spider mecha's location, can you extrapolate where you think Katse's escape pod is now?" the Eagle asked the Swan.

"Already on it." Jun grinned. "I'm sending that information to Ryu's console now."

The God Phoenix was moving at top speed, and Joe suspect that Ryu was pulling out some tricks that he saved for emergencies to do it. The patch job the Owl had done on the hull breaches wasn't going to hold up for long at this rate. But the urgency to find Jinpei had gripped all of them, and the Condor found himself holding his breath until the pod from the head of the Spider mecha became visible on the main viewscreen.

"We've caught up!" Jun stated the obvious as she sagged with relief.

"I'll try to damage them just enough to get them to stop, or surface." Joe suggested.

But before the Eagle could respond to the Condor's choice of action, Jun gasped in surprise.

"We're receiving a communication from Katse!" she told them.

"Well patch it through." Ken groaned.

The sneering image of Berg Katse appeared on the main viewscreen. The larger-than-life Galactor Leader laughed mockingly at the Science Ninja Team. He appeared to be standing in some kind of control room. To his side stood a man in an arachnid costume so bizarre and ridiculous that he could only be the Captain of the recently destroyed Spider mecha. On Katse's other side was a group of green-uniformed goons, all of whom were pointing their rifles at the head of a reluctantly restrained Swallow. Jinpei's arm was firmly clutched in the Galactor Leader's grasp.

"You may have destroyed my mecha, Gatchaman!" Katse sneered, "But I will have my revenge! I will execute the Swallow, before your very eyes!" The Galactor Leader pulled a gun out from under his purple cape, holding it to Jinpei's throat. The Swallow struggled, but the goons rushed forward to hold the boy in place.

Jinpei's eyes were darting around fearfully, searching for any way to escape. The Condor grimaced. He could see the terror on the Swan's face, and his lack of ability to do anything about this created a sense of frustration that was nearly painful.

"No! You can't do this!" the Spider Captain cried. "He's just a boy!"

What the hell? Apparently _some_ goons had a sense of decency after all.

"He's a stupid kid, who destroyed my mecha!" Katse shot back at the Captain. "And who's the leader of Galactor, here? Me, or you?"

Berg Katse answered his own question, an expression of insanity crossing his masked features.

"I am Galactor's leader! Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?"

If he had been able to, the Condor would have slammed his fist through the viewscreen and into Berg Katse's face right then. Instead, he was forced to watch as Katse backhanded the Spider Captain across the jaw, sending the man crashing to the ground, his spider mask falling off of his face.

"Jinpei!" Jun whispered, her eyes wide.

In the excitement, the Swallow had gotten free of the Galactor Leader's grasp. The goons who had been guarding him were now riveted to the confrontation in front of them. Jinpei was edging himself slowly toward the exit.

But Katse suddenly realized that his prisoner was gone. He glared menacingly at the Swallow, raising his gun again.

"I won't let you kill him!" the Captain cried. As Katse cocked his pistol, the Captain lunged at him, knocking the Galactor Leader to the ground. The two men rolled on the floor, a swirl of purple, black and red, until a shot rang out.

Berg Katse stood up, brushing off his uniform with a disgusted expression. The Captain lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, a red stain blossoming out onto his uniform through a hole in his chest.

"Imbecile! Why am I surrounded by idiots?" Katse looked around in a confused manner.

"Hey, where did that stinking kid go?"

The Swallow had vanished.

The communication abruptly terminated, and as it did the Eagle's bracelet began to beep.

"I hope you guys can pick me up fast! I can only hold my breath for about a minute!"

"We're coming, Jinpei!" Ken assured the boy. Ryu was already moving the God Phoenix around Katse's pod. Joe only hoped that the Galactor Leader was too distracted with the near-mutiny on his ship to locate Jinpei before he was picked up by the rest of the Science Ninja Team. The Eagle ran for the G-4 Bay, and left in the Swallow's Helicobuggy to retrieve the vehicle's usual operator.

It took less than the suggested minute to locate and rescue the Swallow, at which point the God Phoenix had to quickly surface, as the warship was beginning to take on water again.

"Jinpei!" Jun cried, running over to the boy as he walked onto the Bridge with the Eagle. "I'm so glad you're safe!" The Swan threw her arms around the Swallow.

"I'm fine, Onechan." Jinpei bragged. "Berg Katse didn't have a chance."

"And what the hell were you doing on that mecha to begin with?" Ken lectured. "I told you not to go in alone!"

"But they were going to launch the mecha!" Jinpei protested. "I had to stop them, didn't I, Aniki?"

"You know darn well that you weren't supposed to go into that base alone, for _any_ reason." Joe growled.

"Joe's right. You could have gotten yourself killed." Ken added.

"You would have too, if it hadn't been for that mecha Captain." Ryu agreed.

"What was with that guy, anyway?" Joe asked. "Why was he sticking his neck out for you?"

"That's not important right now." Ken reminded them. "We can still go after Katse, if we can get the God Phoenix back underway."

"Then let's get started!" Ryu cheered.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Unfortunately, this time the repairs took a little longer, and the Owl wasn't able to push the God Phoenix as much as he had previously. By the time the Science Ninja Team began searching for Berg Katse's ship, nearly half an hour had passed. It took another quarter hour to locate the escape pod, abandoned on the edge of a small island a few kilometers from where the Swallow had been rescued.

The last remnant of the Spider mecha had clearly been abandoned, but Gatchaman wasn't taking any chances. The Science Ninja Team approached the pod carefully, only entering when the Eagle felt certain that it was safe to do so. The ship was made up of little more than the one room, which Jinpei informed them had been the Command Center for the Spider mecha.

Their footsteps echoed in the empty chamber, their bootheels clunking hollowly on the metallic floor.

"Katse escaped, again." Ken muttered disgustedly.

"What did you expect?" Joe replied sarcastically. "Ryu couldn't keep up that speed for much longer, and once we had recovered Jinpei, we had to pull back."

"I'm a little surprised that they abandoned this thing." Jun added. "But maybe they thought that we would eventually catch up to them, if they stayed with it."

"What I don't understand is, why did that mecha Captain save you, Jinpei?" Ryu asked. "It doesn't make sense."

"I recognize this guy!" Ken exclaimed. The Eagle was crouched down beside the lifeless body of the former Galactor Captain. The Condor looked at Gatchaman sharply. How would Ken know this man?

"What?" Jun was surprised.

"He was at the shelter… after we destroyed that Gorilla mecha…" Ken recalled slowly. Joe remembered that day. The God Phoenix had managed to destroy the King-Kong-like mecha with the Science Ninja Technique: Firebird, but not before Galactor had decimated an important ISO installation. The town surrounding the installation had taken heavy damage, and there had been a lot of instant refugees. The entire Science Ninja Team, in civilian attire, had helped out with the immediate relief efforts, until proper emergency assistance had arrived.

"He approached me, and… he knew your name, Jun." the Eagle revealed.

"He did?" The Swan's expression was one of concern.

"He had seen you while you were volunteering with the children… and… he said… that he knew you…"

"What did you tell him?" Jun asked softly.

"I told him that he must be mistaken." Ken shrugged. "I didn't know he worked for Galactor, but I was suspicious; the way he approached me, out of the blue, like that."

"He _did_ know us." Jinpei said quietly.

Four pairs of eyes turned to regard the Swallow.

"When I was held by Galactor… he told me that he had known us… at the orphanage." Jinpei said. "He knew my name too."

"Do you think he told Katse?" Ryu asked.

"No…" Jinpei shook his head slowly.

"I don't think he did," Joe agreed, "or Katse wouldn't have hesitated to throw that in our faces." That purple bastard had certainly been quick to rub their noses in Jinpei's capture, after all.

Jun had bent down, and was now looking at the Captain's body, studying it carefully.

"What was his name, Jinpei?" she asked quietly.

"Uh…" Jinpei struggled to remember. "Abbott… I think…"

"Kito Abbott…" she said softly, touching his cold cheek. "I remember... I always wondered what had happened to him. And now… to learn that he joined Galactor…"

The Swan's voice tore at the Condor's heart. Apparently this man had meant something to Jun once, and he had joined Galactor. Just like Koji. It seemed that the people to whom Jun became attached had an unfortunate tendency to be working for the enemy.

Then again, the same could be said for Joe.

The Condor looked at the Eagle, who appeared uncertain as to how to deal with this new emotional blow for the Swan. Joe glared at Ken, jerking his head. Sometimes, the great Gatchaman could be incredibly dense.

Ken approached Jun hesitantly, then pulled her up and into his arms, where she shed a silent tear.

"That might have been you, and Jinpei, if Hakase hadn't adopted you." Joe pointed out.

"I suppose I should be grateful for that." Jun replied, pulling away from Ken and wiping her face with the back of her glove. "But I can't help feeling angry, at how many lives Galactor has destroyed."

"We'll stop them." Ken vowed. "No matter how long it takes, we will not rest until we've brought Galactor to its knees."

"Amen to that!" Ryu agreed.

They left the small ship, Jun lingering behind to take a last look at her friend. Once they were back on the God Phoenix, the Swan called for an ISO recovery crew to retrieve the remnants of the mecha, so that they could be pulled apart for any clues as to Galactor plans or latest technological advancements. Another UN Squadron was sent to the base that Jinpei had discovered south of Utoland. The remainder of the journey back to the Crescent Coral Base was uneventful, and Jun sat quietly, a sad air about her as she contemplated their recent discovery.

Yet in her sadness, there was still a dignity about the Swan. The Condor understood the emotional beating she had taken with Koji's death, and to discovering another childhood friend destroyed by Galactor so shortly thereafter must be killing her now. Despite this, Jun was facing this new discovery with some kind of inner strength, and Joe found that he respected her all the more for it.

The mecha Captain's actions had only served to the strengthen the Science Ninja Team's resolve to destroy Galactor for once and for all.

88888

_Again_?

Captain Black had been ordered to go on yet another recruiting assignment. Kentaro was getting tired of picking up worthless goons who were stupid enough to actually believe that joining Galactor would bring them wealth and glory. Not to mention that he was beginning to feel like Berg Katse's personal errand boy. The purple mutant didn't even deliver his demands in person, but usually sent them by way of some idiot private.

Next, the Galactor Leader would have Captain Black making a run over to the Loire Valley to pick up a case of wine, or to the international corporate headquarters of Chanel, to pick up his favorite lipstick!

It _had_ to stop.

To make matters worse, that idiot Berg Katse had bungled his mission _again_, and yet Sosai _still_ allowed that purple mutant to retain his undeserved position as Lord of Galactor.

What Kentaro had to do was accomplish something that Berg Katse had proven himself completely incapable of doing.

He had to destroy the Science Ninja Team.

This _one_ thing could raise him above Berg Katse in Sosai's mind. If he could only do this…

When it came to the Science Ninja Team, Kentaro Washio had one advantage that Berg Katse did not, and he would not fail to use this to its full extent.

His son.

88888

"Enter, Katse."

Berg Katse entered the audience chamber as he had been bidden, but he could not mask his shock at seeing Captain Black already present and speaking with Sosai.

"What is _he_ doing here?" Katse sputtered. "I thought this was supposed to be a _private_ conference about how to defeat the Science Ninja Team!"

"It is." Sosai replied condescendingly. "But since Captain Black is the one who will be carrying out this mission, his presence is necessary to our discussion."

"_Necessary_?" Katse nearly had apoplexy as he choked upon the word. "Why is _he_ necessary? Surely I can do whatever tasks he is offering to perform…"

"Captain Black has come up with an excellent plan to destroy the Science Ninja Team." Sosai cut off Katse's long winded whine. "_He_ will be the one to carry out this mission."

"Well then," Katse demanded haughtily, "if this plan is so wonderful, why don't you tell me about it?"

"It would be my extreme pleasure." Kentaro responded in a superior tone. "You see, I've had experience in dealing with the Science Ninja Team." Kentaro smirked. "As a matter of fact, I've had experience _working alongside_ the Science Ninja Team."

"Oh yes, this 'undercover' position you had for awhile." Katse yawned. "I've heard about this before." The Galactor Leader examined his gloves in a bored manner.

"Gatchaman has a significant weakness." Kentaro went on, ignoring Katse's insults. "He is too innocent. He is completely without guile. If someone could earn his trust, it would be very easy for them to stab him in the back."

"Exactly _how_ are _you_ going to earn Gatchaman's trust?" Katse asked skeptically.

"I _already_ have his trust." Kentaro laughed. He was enjoying this cat and mouse game with his rival.

"_You_? Who are _you_, that Gatchaman would have faith in _you_? You were just some random ISO worker! Certainly you were no one who would have Gatchaman's trust!"

The moment had finally come. Kentaro looked questioningly at Sosai, but the alien entity only appeared impatient for them to get on with the matter at hand.

"I am Red Impulse."

There was complete and utter silence for a moment as Berg Katse absorbed what he was being told.

"But… Sosai, you told me that Red Impulse had been killed! That you were pleased with me!"

"For all intents and purposes, Red Impulse _is_ dead." Sosai declared. "Only Captain Black exists now. But if Black can use his past to eliminate the Science Ninja Team, then it is worthwhile using that identity once more."

"Red Impulse…" Berg Katse shook his head in amazement. The purple mutant's gaze suddenly hardened as he regarded Kentaro.

"You should have stayed dead."

"Silence, Katse!" roared Sosai. "Captain Black is going to use his past identity to eliminate Gatchaman and the Science Ninja Team for us! That is certainly more than _you_ have ever done."

"But Sosai, I _can_ do this!" Katse pleaded. "Let _me_ gain the trust of the Science Ninja Team! You know how good I am with disguises…"

"You will provide whatever Captain Black requires to execute his plan." Sosai ordered, ignoring the infantile begging and whining of his flawed creation.

"As you wish, Sosai." The purple mutant's tone was defeated, but his eyes glanced cunningly over at the Captain. No matter. Kentaro was being given his chance to prove himself to Sosai, and he wasn't about to let his rival show him up.

"I'll need three fighter jets: single-engine, one-man units, and full access to the old base at Hontwal." the Captain demanded.

"That base was destroyed by the Science Ninja Team after the V2 Plan was terminated!" Katse protested.

"Not the missile launch base;" Kentaro clarified, a vicious gleam in his eyes, "the planning base."

"How do you know about…?"

Katse's eyes darted up to Sosai's massive image on the wall. "Does this man know _everything_ about Galactor, Sosaisama?"

"I know that you were counting on turning that planning base into your own personal retreat." Kentaro sneered condescendingly. "Hontwal is famous as a vacation paradise after all, and its tropical weather is far more to your taste than the Himalayan winters at Karokorum. Isn't that so, Katse?"

"Enough!" Sosai declared. "Katse, give Captain Black everything he requires. You are not to interfere with his work in _any_ way. Do you understand me?"

Kentaro laughed to himself. At long last, he was finally getting his chance. He would finally be able to show Sosai that he was worthy.

It was the opportunity he had been waiting for his entire life.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The God Phoenix flew over the rugged, mountainous coastline, while the Science Ninja Team scanned for any sign of Galactor activity. Since Ken and Jun had discovered and destroyed Galactor's Ghost Island Mecha Factory over a week ago, Galactor had been relatively quiet. Only Ken's rescue of one of Galactor's wounded agents had brought the Syndicate out of hiding to attack the Science Ninja Team again. The funny thing was, the man hadn't been a bad sort at all. In fact, he had seemed to want to atone for the things he had done with Galactor; so much so that Jinpei had begun calling him 'G6'. Yet in the end, the man had sacrificed himself so that Ken could escape from an exploding ship.

This was the third Galactor agent in recent weeks with whom one or more of the Science Ninja Team had felt a connection. It gave the Condor pause: was _everyone_ working for Galactor doing so willingly? Was it possible that with a different person in control of the Galactor organization, that they might become a force for peace in the world?

It was a sobering thought.

Of course, all of this was moot. At the moment, Berg Katse was in charge of Galactor, and there was no question that the man was a vicious lunatic who enjoyed the death and destruction his mecha brought to the Earth and its citizens. The Condor would have no mercy in his heart if he ever got his hands on that bastard again.

That was, if they could find him. Katse was holed up somewhere, plotting and planning another attack. Dr. Nambu had suggested regular patrols by the Science Ninja Team, to see if they could spot where Galactor might be hiding. But without any real guidance as to where to look, so far, it had resulted in nothing. Frustration was evident on everyone's face.

Today's search had taken them to the south, and the Swallow realized with a start that they were in familiar skies.

"Hey, we're just about right above Hontwal!" Jinpei exclaimed. "That's where the Captain of Red Impulse died, isn't it, Onechan?"

The Condor scowled. Trust the Swallow to blunder into a sensitive subject without a thought for anyone else.

"Jinpei!" Jun scolded, and the boy realized his error, clapping his hand over his mouth. But of course, it was already too late.

Ken stood frozen in place, his emotions flashing across his face too quickly for Joe to process. He seemed to be lost in his memories, and that was something for which the Condor could hardly blame the Eagle.

Ken winced suddenly, then turned to leave the Bridge.

"Hey, Aniki, where are you going?" Jinpei asked meekly.

"Go on home without me, all right?" Ken requested. "I'll be right back."

"Aniki, I'm sorry!"

But the plaintive cry came too late. The Eagle was gone.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!" Jinpei whined. "I wasn't thinking, and I guess I made him remember."

"You _guess_?" Joe snorted. "What did you _think_ would happen when you mentioned Red Impulse? You know how messed up Ken was when the V2 Plan went down!"

"I thought… after all of this time... that he might have learned to deal with it, somewhat." Jun sighed. "He was so angry after Red Impulse's death."

"Ken isn't one to talk about his feelings." Ryu shrugged. "He keeps it all bottled up inside. If you ask me, it's not healthy."

Joe grimaced. Hadn't he pretty much been telling both Ken and Jun the same thing for months? The Eagle's emotional health was suspect, and while he seemed to be stable right now, who knew what might set Ken off again?

The Condor only hoped that this flight over Hontwal wouldn't be the catalyst for another one of Gatchaman's volatile mood swings.

88888

Kentaro Washio laughed softly to himself as his sensors caught the God Phoenix coming into range of his 'base'. He had been ready to execute his plan for three days, and had spent that time waiting for the Science Ninja Team's warship to fly into the area. The Captain still had enough remote computer access at the UN to know that Gatchaman's Team was out patrolling regularly, searching for signs of Galactor. It had only been a matter of time before Ken, in his weak sentimentality, came back to Hontwal.

"Pilots Reed and Hanju, prepare for launch. This is _not_ a drill."

Captain Black turned off the communications system, then moved to go back to his quarters.

It was time to become Red Impulse once more.

88888

Ten minutes later, Kentaro was flying in a reasonable facsimile of his Red Impulse jet. He had been able to describe its visual appearance, inside and out, to Chief Engineer Suto, who had constructed the plane to his Captain's exact specifications, and then made two more. Now, flying over the Hontwal skies with two other red jets at his side, Kentaro experienced a flash of déjà vu.

He only hoped that his son would get caught up in the same experience.

"Captain, Gatchaman has left the God Phoenix!" The crackling communication came through his systems.

"What?"

Kentaro rapidly checked his readings. The G-1 Summit Jet had exited the God Phoenix and was headed in their direction. This played right into the Captain's hands! Alone, Ken would be much easier to convince, and he need never know what had _actually_ happened to the rest of his Science Ninja Team.

"Send out the Gigabee mecha!" Kentaro ordered. "Go after the rest of the Science Ninja Team! Without the G-1 aboard, they won't be able to fire Bird Missiles or use their Firebird attack."

"Yes, Sir!"

In the meantime, Kentaro could focus on the rest of his plan.

He directed Reed and Hanju to follow him in formation, and they approached Gatchaman's plane, the setting sun behind them. The effect would be to make their appearance somewhat hazy, giving the entire experience a dream-like quality for the Eagle.

Kentaro directed the other two jets to follow him as he buzzed the G-1, flying in low over his son's plane and then shooting over it in a showy maneuver designed to catch the boy's attention. He swung his jet around, pulling up alongside the G-1 as Reed and Hanju fell back for a moment.

He adjusted his cockpit glass to brighten somewhat, allowing Ken to get a good, long look at him. After a moment, Kentaro opened a transmission to his son's plane.

"Red Impulse is invincible, Kid!" he laughed. "Follow behind me, and I'll lead you to my new base of operation." Kentaro terminated the communication before Ken could respond, then shot off toward the horizon, Reed and Hanju coming in close behind.

As he had expected, Ken hesitated only a moment before moving to follow them.

88888

"Let's get back to the Crescent Coral Base _today_, Ryu!" the Swallow whined. "I want to play some video games!"

"Just shut your trap!" the Condor snapped. "It's gotten us into enough trouble for one day."

"If Aniki gets to go off on his own, why can't I?" Jinpei complained, purposely ignoring Joe's words.

"And whose fault is it that Ken ran off?" the Swan asked, her foot tapping angrily.

"All right, all right." Jinpei moaned.

"We're receiving a communication from Hakase!" Jun announced. Dr. Nambu's image appeared on a small monitor above the main viewscreen.

"Team, I have some very serious news to report." Nambu began. "Apparently, Red Impulse is alive."

"What?" Jun cried. "Ken's father is still alive?"

"Apparently." the Doctor replied. "Ken just contacted me, and is completely beside himself, I'm afraid. I want all of you to tail him, and find out what's going on!"

"Roger!"

The Owl immediately turned the God Phoenix around, heading back toward Hontwal as the Condor tried to make sense of it all.

"Either the Captain of Red Impulse is still alive, or something's wrong with Ken." Joe surmised. He didn't like the sound of either of those options. He had never trusted Red Impulse, and the entire Science Ninja Team had suffered through Ken's emotional upset when the man had died.

"When it comes to his father, Ken tends to go a little nutso." Ryu noted. "Not that I don't understand how he feels."

"Nutso… is that a technical term, Ryu?" Jinpei snickered.

"That's enough out of you, Jinpei!" Jun declared, swatting the boy on the back of the head. "We've had enough of your big mouth today! Ken has a lot of unresolved issues with his father, and if Red Impulse is really alive, then Ken has every right to go after him!" The Swallow cowered before the Swan's wrath, and finally kept his mouth shut.

"_If_ he really is alive." Joe pointed out. "I'm not sure I buy it."

"Yeah, if Red Impulse survived that explosion in the Van Allen Belt, why didn't he contact us?" Ryu asked.

"Well, it's not like he's never done this before." Jun noted. "Red Impulse abandoned Ken as a child."

"But he still kept in contact with Hakase." Joe reminded her. "This time, Hakase's just as surprised as we are. I don't think he believes this either." This entire matter felt like a lead weight in his stomach. The Condor had never trusted Red Impulse, although neither had he ever been able to furnish any evidence that Ken or Dr. Nambu would accept as proof of the man's duplicity. When Red Impulse had died, Joe had been sorry for what Ken was going through, but in the end, the Condor had thought that this was a _good_ thing. And now the man had returned…

It was an ill omen.

"In any case, we've got to check this out." Ryu said.

"We'll get to the bottom of it, for Ken's sake." Jun declared.

"And I'm sure we'll run into a lot of trouble on the way." Joe groaned.

But it wasn't long before trouble found them.

88888

The moment he had docked his plane in the mountainside hangar of the base, Kentaro rushed to the elevator and up to the office. This chamber had been constructed for Berg Katse's personal use, and it was therefore quite luxuriously appointed. Floor-to-ceiling windows lined an entire wall, showcasing a breathtaking view of the Hontwal coastline below.

A soft reflection from the window showcased his red uniform. It felt strange to be wearing it again; as if it had belonged to another life. He had been free of that life for only a few months, and it pained him to go back to it. Yet there was nothing he wouldn't do to prove himself to Sosai.

The sound of the elevator door opening caused him to turn, and the Eagle stepped out into full view. Kentaro smiled in a welcoming manner, inwardly smirking as he saw the joy evident on his son's face. Ken ran across the room, stopping just short of bowling his father over. Gatchaman stared intently at Kentaro, as if his father was only there, in front of him, because the Eagle was willing it to be so.

Time to go in for the kill.

Kentaro raised his arms, placing his hands on Ken's shoulders in a friendly manner.

"You're looking very well. I've missed you." he said.

"I can't believe it's true. You're here! You survived!"

"And the others? How is Dr. Nambu doing?"

"He's been working hard on implementing the Mantle Project. He's just fine." Ken replied quickly, but then he returned immediately to the main subject at hand. "But why didn't you let any of us know that you had survived the explosion?"

Kentaro sighed regretfully, turning away from his son and pounding his fist into his hand in a dramatic manner. He hadn't overacted this badly since he had been simulating regret over leaving his family, the night before they had infiltrated the Hontwal Defense Minister's residence. It had worked then, and he expected that it would work now.

"They say, 'deceive your friends first, in order to deceive your foe'." he explained. "I didn't want Galactor to find out I was alive."

"It makes sense." Ken replied. "But you could have at least told us something!"

"During that time, I was on a secret, undercover operation, trying to locate Galactor's headquarters." The 'secret mission' excuse had worked for him once before, and Kentaro hoped that it would work again now.

"Galactor's headquarters?" Ken asked excitedly. "Then did you…?"

Damn, his son was a gullible fool. But right now, this was to Kentaro's advantage.

"I couldn't locate their headquarters, but I gained some knowledge about them, at least." Kentaro walked over behind the large desk that dominated the room. He pressed a button on the corner, opening a drawer to reveal a metal briefcase embossed with a Galactor symbol. He lifted the case, displaying it to the Eagle.

"In this case I have detailed information as to the location of several key Galactor bases. Also the blueprints, and the organization's personnel structure." It had been difficult to persuade Berg Katse to part with this information, but Kentaro had used the authority that Sosai had given him to full effect. After all, if the Science Ninja Team took action based on this information, it would be Katse's problem; not his. And if Sosai _made_ it Captain Black's responsibility, Kentaro would take steps to ensure that these data were suddenly obsolete.

"If we crush these bases, I'm sure we could cut Galactor's military strength in half." Kentaro added.

"How were you able to collect all that?" Ken asked.

"When it comes to infiltration, I have much more experience than you, my friend." Kentaro bragged, before moving in for the kill. "I want you to deliver this to Dr. Nambu."

"I will." Ken promised eagerly. "But first, I want you to tell me everything you've been up to since you left in the V2 Termination Rocket."

Kentaro smiled. His son was far too gullible. But this time, it was to his father's advantage.

88888

The God Phoenix flew over Hontwal, searching for any sign of the missing Gatchaman. They had been unable to contact the Eagle, and there was no trace of the G-1.

"Where the heck did Ken go, anyway?" Ryu asked in exasperation. "He's nowhere to be found out there!"

"Maybe Ken followed his Dad back to wherever his base is." Joe guessed. He didn't like this idea, but it seemed like the most likely situation, given Ken's obsession with his father. The Condor sighed. It hadn't been that long ago that the Eagle had finally been able to put aside his painful emotions regarding his father, and now this…

"What's that?" Jun gasped, tearing Joe away from his morose thoughts.

The Swan had spotted a large, insect-like mecha rising up from the tropical rainforest below. It was shaped like some kind of elongated bee, or wasp, with a large bulb on the end of its 'tail'.

"It's a bee monster!" the Owl shrieked like a little girl.

"Damn you!" Joe swore. "I didn't expect to see Galactor's rats out here!" The Condor raised his fist, sending it crashing down on the glass cover for the red button that launched Bird Missiles. But when he initiated the firing sequence, nothing happened.

"The Bird Missiles aren't firing!" For a second, Joe couldn't believe it, but Jun quickly lectured him on his foolishness.

"Did you forget?" she asked, surprised at his lack of foresight. "We're missing G-1 right now! The God Phoenix can't function unless all five vehicles are combined."

"So we have to run?" Joe spat. "No way, man!" The Condor slammed his fists down onto the console, refusing to give in, despite his lack of offensive options.

"Here it comes!" Ryu announced. "Sit down, and hold on!" The Swan and the Swallow jumped back to their seats as the pilot maneuvered the God Phoenix around to face the mecha. Since they had no weapons available to them, the Condor instructed the Owl to bait the mecha, forcing it to attack itself.

The God Phoenix danced around laser cannon fire, but Ryu was unable to do what Joe had asked. As they were coming around for another pass, a multi-colored light beam shot forth from the Insect's eyes, engulfing the God Phoenix. A wave of electric shock ripped through the Condor, causing him to grip the edge of his chair so tightly it nearly cracked. He could see the others falling over their consoles in agony.

The Insect mecha took full use of its momentary advantage, sending more laser shots at the God Phoenix's wing, which the disabled Owl was unable to avoid. The red and blue warship fell out of its flight path, tumbling toward the rainforest below.

"We're going to crash!" the Swan shouted in warning.

The Owl pulled at the control levers, maneuvering the God Phoenix's nose to pull up just before it was about to impact the ground. The warship careened through the trees, physically forcing its way through the forest, leaves and debris trailing in its wake. After a few moments, the God Phoenix emerged out the other side of the forest, at the top of a large cliff, and suddenly they were flying smoothly over the ocean waters once more.

"Oh… I guess we survived the crash, huh?" Ryu moaned.

"Hey, look Onechan! It looks like Galactor gave up and left us!" Jinpei grinned.

But the Insect mecha had not given up its pursuit. It was flying above the God Phoenix, and descending until it was just above the red and blue warship. The Science Ninja Team only noticed this when it grabbed their vessel, digging its claws into the sides of the God Phoenix.

"What the..?"

The Owl didn't have time to finish his epithet as the Bridge shook, sending everyone scrambling once more.

"Ahhhh! Bee face! Bee face!" Ryu screamed as the Insect mecha came into view.

"Just shut up and fly this damn ship!" Joe ordered.

"I'm trying!" Ryu protested. Indeed, the Owl was pushing at the controls, but seemed unable to wrest the ship from the Insect's grasp.

"If only we could use the Firebird." Joe muttered. "We'd tear that damn mecha apart!"

"We can!" Jun cried. "I can wire the G-1 Bay so that the God Phoenix thinks all of the G-machines are onboard!"

"That won't last very long!" Jinpei whined.

"As long as it's enough to get us out of here." Joe replied. "Go, Jun!"

But it was too late. Even as the Swan turned to stand, the pointed stinger of the Insect mecha bored through the hull of the God Phoenix, appearing through the ceiling of the Bridge. Jun and Jinpei screamed as purple clouds began emitting from the tip.

"It's poison gas!" warned Joe, covering his mouth with his hand and his wings.

But the others had not taken such precautions, and quickly fell victim to the sedative effects of the gas. Joe gasped in horror, then quickly covered his mouth again. He desperately tried to think of what he could do, but as the heavy, sickly-sweet fog began to take over his mind, a grim reality hit home.

"We blew it…" he muttered, as the world went dark.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Well, I'd really better get on my way." Ken said finally. Kentaro did his best to hide the smirk from his face. He had certainly distracted his son long enough. He had just received a covert signal from his men, indicating that they had successfully completed their mission to hijack the God Phoenix and capture the other members of the Science Ninja Team.

How Kentaro longed to kill his son and the rest of Gatchaman's Team right now! But if his victory was to be complete, he had to eliminate Dr. Nambu and the Crescent Coral Base as well. Better to lure Ken back here later with his teammates, and _then_ kill them all.

"Oh, don't go yet!" Kentaro protested. "Why don't you stay just a little longer?" He had to convince Ken that he was glad for his son's company.

"But everyone will be worried about me." Ken pointed out. "I know! You come to the base with me! Dr. Nambu would be happy to see you!"

Kentaro nearly choked at this suggestion. Kozaburo might be happy to see him, but the man wasn't quite as gullible as Ken was. Nambu would have a lot of difficult questions, and Kentaro would be hard put to answer them.

"Well, I still have some work to finish up here." he lied. "I'll visit him when I get finished."

"Very well, then. I'll come again." Ken replied. "Real soon." Clearly Gatchaman was enthralled with the idea of spending time with his father.

"Give Dr. Nambu my regards, along with…" Kentaro moved to intercept Ken as the boy stood up to leave.

"Wait!" he reminded Ken. "Don't forget the case."

"Oh yeah!" Ken said ruefully, grabbing for the briefcase. But the boy was so clumsy that he accidentally opened it, and papers went spilling everywhere. Horrified that Gatchaman would somehow spot the tracking device embedded in the case, Kentaro scrambled to collect the papers.

"What was I thinking?" he said, grabbing at the first thing he could think of to say to cover his actions. "I failed to lock it! This is all of the information on Galactor that I've worked so hard to collect. It would be terrible if even a single piece of it was misplaced."

As he replaced the papers, Kentaro's fingers flickered past the locator device. Good, it was still there. Quickly, he pressed it even deeper inside of the case's lining, to hide the tracker even better, so that a cursory inspection wouldn't find it.

"Be sure to deliver this to Dr. Nambu personally." he advised Ken, finally handing the case over.

"Yep, you got it!" Ken agreed foolishly.

Kentaro escorted his son to the hangar, watching him prepare for takeoff in the G-1.

"Come see me again!" he urged.

"Yep!" Ken grinned.

Hanju, disguised as Oniishi, waved a takeoff flag and initiated the launch release mechanism to allow the Eagle to depart. Kentaro watched as his son flew into the sky, departing with the 'precious' briefcase.

Gatchaman's time had come to an end.

88888

The Condor groaned, attempting to rub the side of his skull in a vain attempt to lessen the dull ache he felt there. A few seconds too late, he realized that his helmet was still on his head, and that his hands were pinned beneath his body, between his stomach and the floor.

Joe slowly opened his eyes, only to see a pair of goons manhandling Ryu and forcing the unconscious Owl into a set of restraints. A quick glance down at his own body told the Condor that he was already the bearer of a similar set of devices.

However, the goons hadn't thought out their incarceration techniques very well. Joe's wrists were bound together, but they were in front of him. It was all too easy to pull a feather shuriken from his wings and insert the metal tip into the restraints' locking mechanism.

By the time the goons had finished with Ryu, two feathers were flying through the air. The pair of soldiers fell to the floor with a thud, at the same moment that a third goon came around the corner and into view.

"Oh, shit!"

The guard ran away shrieking, just as an alarm bell began to ring and the air started to fill with that strange, purplish gas once more. The Condor struggled to rise, but within moments, everything had once again gone black.

88888

"Everything is going as planned, Sosai."

Kentaro was reporting from his old base of operations in Hontwal to ensure that his words weren't accidentally overheard by the wrong ears.

"Gatchaman took the briefcase back to the Crescent Coral Base." he said. "We have initiated the signal, and are confirming the base's location as we speak. Gigabee will then be sent out to destroy it."

"Excellent." Sosai murmured. "And what about the other members of the Science Ninja Team?"

"They are sedated and confined in a cell, here."

"Katse tells me that there was a disturbance in the detention area."

Kentaro swore softly to himself. Trust that backstabbing purple mutant to have left a spy! And of course, Katse had reported on the only thing that had gone wrong with Kentaro's plan, minor though it was. The Condor had awoken prematurely, and had killed some of Kentaro's guards as they had been restraining the prisoners. Fortunately, that matter had quickly been taken care of, and now everything was back under control.

"It was nothing." Kentaro insisted. "Just some careless guards. They have been punished, and at this moment the other four members of the Science Ninja Team are sleeping and confined."

"Just be certain that there are no more disturbances." Sosai warned. Kentaro grimaced. How like the Condor to be messing things up for him now. The Captain had never liked the man, although in a strange way he had come to respect his abilities. The Condor was a fearsome fighter, and at times Kentaro had to wonder why the hell such a competent man would be following his incompetent son.

But none of that mattered now. Fearsome or not, the Condor would be executed when Gatchaman returned.

Kentaro finished his communication with Sosai, then turned to leave the room. His mind was still dwelling on Berg Katse's duplicity when a strange purple gas began filling the room.

By the time Kentaro had noticed the gas, it was too late.

88888

It was very important that he wake up.

He just couldn't remember why.

"Joe…"

It was as if his name were being called from a long distance away. He had to get there; had to fight his way through.

"Joe! Joe, wake up!"

"Jun?"

The Swan was shaking his body in an attempt to rouse him.

"Joe, you're awake!" she cried, relief evident on her delicate features. "We're trapped here in this cell, and Ryu and Jinpei are out of it as well!"

"What about the restraints?" Joe mumbled groggily, sitting up.

"Restraints? You mean those?" Jun grinned as she used her head to indicate a pile of metal cuffs and chains in the corner. "They weren't a problem."

"That's my girl." Joe smiled. He looked around. They were in the cell he recalled from before: carved out of solid rock with metal bars on one wall. He squinted at a dark spot on the floor a few feet away, close to the Owl's body. Blood. He grinned, remembering what he had done to the goons who had placed them there.

Clearly, however, the Galactor guards had managed to subdue him again, as there was no sign of anyone else. Scowling, the Condor looked around, assessing the situation.

"G2 to G1." he said into his wrist. "Are you there?"

"There's no response." Jun sighed. "I can't contact Hakase either. I think there's something in these walls, jamming our signals."

"It doesn't matter." Joe shrugged, forcing a casualness he did not feel. "We'll get out of here. Let's just wake up Jinpei and Ryu. Once we're free, we'll go looking for Ken."

"Okay." Jun agreed, but her expression was anxious.

No sooner had they awoken Jinpei and Ryu when they heard a soft, familiar, whooshing sound above them. They looked up to see Ken heading for a landing in their midst. He was gliding down from the high ceiling above them.

"Aniki!" Jinpei cried. "Man, I knew we could count on you to come rescue us! How did you know we were here?"

"I got caught too, Jinpei." the Eagle admitted to a disappointed Swallow.

"Ken, so is it true that your father is still alive?" Jun asked. "Tell us what's been going on."

The Eagle sighed heavily, bowing his head as he spoke.

"The whole thing was just a sick and twisted trick." he revealed. Gatchaman might have said more, but he was interrupted by maniacal laughter coming from the other side of the cell's bars.

"I got you all together now, without having to do much work at all!" Berg Katse cackled. Behind him stood a number of goons, one of them holding a strange metal device.

"Just sit back, relax, and make yourselves at home, as you watch your base get obliterated!" Katse sneered. "And allow Galactor to present you with a small token of our affection." The Galactor Leader snapped his fingers at the goon holding the device. The green-uniformed soldier placed it onto the wall, opposite the cell bars.

A bomb.

"This time bomb is set to go off in five minutes." Katse informed them gleefully. "So be sure to save extra breath for your last scream. Meanwhile, we've decided to move to a different secret base. Smart, huh?"

As Katse lorded his current position over them, Joe saw Ken's hand moving surreptitiously toward his belt. The Eagle stared strangely at Katse, even as he pulled something from his waist pouch.

When the Galactor Leader turned away, Gatchaman flicked a small device through the air. It landed on the back of Katse's neck.

A transmitter!

Joe had to hand it to Ken. Planting a locator on Katse was a stroke of genius. It could lead them all to Galactor's Headquarters. That was, if they were able to get out of this cell and follow the signal, before the time bomb went off.

"Let's move out, Galactor!" Katse ordered.

"Sire!" the goons saluted, turning to run from the room.

"Hurry!" Katse urged, before turning for a final look at the Science Ninja Team. "Well, buh-bye now!" he sneered condescendingly before departing.

"Damn it! Let us out of here, you bastard!" Jinpei called at the Galactor Leader's retreating back. Ken ignored him, instead activating his bracelet.

"This is Gatchaman. Dr. Nambu, come in. Gatchaman to Nambu, do you read?"

"The signal is being jammed." the Swan explained. "It's impossible to transmit anything."

"But Hakase is in danger! What should we do now?" Jinpei asked plaintively.

"Jun, try to blow the bars with your Yo-Yo Bomb." Ken suggested.

"Yo-Yo Strike!" Jun shouted, throwing her weapon at the metal bars. The yo-yo wrapped itself around the bars and detonated… but there was no effect.

"This is so pointless." Joe smirked. "Galactor can't doubt our abilities that much. They're sure to have reinforced the bars."

"Don't tell me we're going to die like this!" Jinpei whined. "Say something, Aniki! Anything!" The Swallow ran to the bars and stared at Katse's time bomb.

"It's going to go off if we don't do something soon!" the boy cried. "Aniki, can't we do something?"

"All right!" Joe snapped, pulling out his gun.

"Don't do it!" the Eagle ordered, misunderstanding what the Condor had in mind. "You're only going to make it go off, Joe!"

"Just you watch." smirked the Condor, pulling out his drill bit attachment. Coolly, he fitted in the device, then pushed the Swallow aside so he could reach the bars. As Jinpei watched wide-eyed, Joe placed his drill in the center of the bar, holding his gun carefully to allow his bit to bore into the metal rung.

"It's no good!" Jinpei shouted. "That's never going to get us out on time!"

The Condor ignored him, instead focusing all of his concentration on breaking through their prison wall.

"Are you done yet?" Jinpei complained. "Jeez, I'm freaking out over here!"

"What's your rush?" Ryu asked the boy coolly. "We don't have anywhere to go."

"Joe, aren't you done?" Jun nagged. "Hurry up!"

The Condor snapped. The Swan was the last person he would have expected to be riding his back, when he was doing the best he could. The rest of them were all just sitting around like useless lumps!

"Keep your hair on!" Joe growled. "It's not like poking holes in paper!"

After a few more moments, the drill finally broke through the bar. The Condor felt like celebrating. He had done it!

"I've got it!" he announced.

"All right! We're out of here, dudes!" Jinpei cheered. Unfortunately, the Swallow didn't see what the Condor faced.

The hole wasn't big enough.

"Don't get too excited. I still have one more to open." Joe told him. Jinpei moaned loudly. What the hell? Did this kid actually think that Joe was any less interested in getting out of there than he was?

"We're out of time." Ken sighed. "It's no good."

"Ken, what do we do?" Jun asked.

"We'll take our chances." the Eagle replied calmly.

Gatchaman pulled a number of Mini Bombs out of his belt pouch, then packed them into the hole that Joe had made in the bars.

"Everyone, take cover!" Ken ordered.

Once they had all moved back to the stone wall, Ken threw his boomerang at the packed explosives.

"Bird Run!"

The resulting explosion was tremendous, sending hot shards of metal flying everywhere. Fortunately, their Birdstyles had protected them and no one was hurt. Even better, the bars had been bent back enough from the weak spot Joe had created to make a hole large enough for them to exit.

"Far out! We did it!" the Eagle grinned. It wasn't until that moment that Joe realized that Ken hadn't been at all sure of the outcome of his maneuver.

"Hurry!" ordered Ken, running out of the cell. No one delayed in following him out of the detention area and back to the God Phoenix, which was parked in the main hangar next to the G-1.

No one wasted any time in boarding their ships.

"Get us out of here, Ryu!" Joe cried, even as the pilot was maneuvering the levers for takeoff.

"I'm on it, Joe!" the Owl called.

The God Phoenix shot out of the hangar and into the open sky, the G-1 Summit Jet close behind. Seconds later, the entire mountain exploded, the force of the blast propelling them even further from the scene.

Once the shockwaves had settled, the G-1 docked with the main body of the God Phoenix. Joe was just initiating a warning transmission with Dr. Nambu when Ken came onto the Bridge.

"I've already contacted Hakase." the Eagle informed the Condor. "He's destroying the briefcase with the Locator Signal. Everything should be all right now, guys."

"So, what was the device you pitched on Berg Katse's collar, earlier?" Jun asked.

"Just wait and see!" Ken smirked. "Since he gave us a surprise, I gave him a nifty little transmitter. Check it out! This is going to be very interesting."

Joe just hoped that Katse hadn't found the transmitter and turned the tables on them.

The Eagle moved over to the front of the Bridge, inputting commands into his workstation.

"That should do it." Ken said calmly. All eyes were on the main viewscreen, which displayed a map of the Crescent Base's current location, as well as that of the Insect mecha.

"It's starting to transmit a signal!" Jinpei noted.

"Do you think we'll trick them, Ken?" Jun asked doubtfully.

"Galactor's internal communication is never good, so we have a chance." Ken replied. The Eagle had a good point. It was a weakness the Science Ninja Team had exploited before.

"But before we know it, it'll reach Crescent Coral Base!" Jinpei said shakily. Indeed, the path of the Insect mecha was clearly visible in front of them, and it was nearly in range of their Base.

And then, without warning, the mecha suddenly diverted its course away from the Crescent Coral Base and moved north, toward the beeping transmitter that Ken had activated with the God Phoenix's systems.

"It turned!" Jinpei cheered.

Ken didn't say a word, but Joe noted that the smile on his face was almost… vengeful. The last time the Condor had seen the Eagle look like that was shortly after his father had died. Joe supposed that Ken was taking Galactor's impersonation of Red Impulse personally.

This supposition was confirmed when the Eagle ordered the Owl to take them closer to the scene, so that they could better monitor the ensuing chaos. From a distance, the Science Ninja Team watched the Insect mecha approach an underwater Galactor Base. Both the mecha and the base opened fire on each other almost instantaneously, and within minutes, both were destroyed. The only downside was the inevitable blip on the screen, showing Berg Katse escaping from the chaos in a tiny ship.

"Hah!" crowed Jinpei. "They're killing their own guys!"

"Come on, let's scram." Ryu grinned. "Dr. Nambu must be worried."

But rather than reveling in the victory with the rest of them, Ken turned away, moving back from the main viewscreen.

"Hey!" Ryu exclaimed.

"Aniki, where are you going now?" Jinpei asked plaintively.

"Jinpei, you should lay off him for awhile." Joe told the boy. "I'm sure, for Ken, this has stirred up a lot of heartache." The Condor only hoped that when the Eagle was eventually able to process the events of this day, he would be able to deal with them in a way that would not destroy him.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

His mouth tasted like rotting cardboard and was just as dry. Why couldn't he remember what had happened to him?

It all came back in a rush.

Looking around, Kentaro realized that he was still lying on the floor of his old office in Hontwal. Looking up, he saw an empty canister of predrosine gas nearly completely concealed in the corner of the ceiling.

He had been careless. Kentaro should have known that Berg Katse would go to any lengths to ensure that he failed.

What had that purple mutant bastard done?

Immediately, Kentaro reached out to contact Sosai… but there was no response.

"Sosai!" he cried, both in his mind and with his throat. "Answer me!"

But there was only silence.

Something was horribly wrong. Despite the growing fear in the depths of his soul, Kentaro knew that he had to find out what it was.

With grim determination he ran for his plane. He had to get to Cross Karokorum.

88888

Ken didn't say a word when he saw Joe standing on his doorstep. He simply walked away from the entrance, leaving it to the Condor to determine whether or not he wanted to come inside. Given that he had come all the way out here with the express purpose of talking to the Eagle, Joe stepped into the rickety shack.

"I don't want to talk about it." Ken grumbled.

"Did I say I wanted to talk?" Joe asked. "Maybe I'm just lonely."

"Somehow, I suspect that when you're lonely, you're always able to find company of the female variety." Ken observed sourly.

"Maybe I prefer hanging out with the guys once in awhile." Joe shrugged with exaggerated casualness. "Besides, I could never find a girl as good as the one you've got."

"She's not mine, Joe. We've had this conversation before."

"True. And that's not really why I'm here."

"I know."

An awkward silence stretched out between the two men, each of them seeking a way to talk about the one thing that neither of them really wanted to discuss. Yet until they did, it would continue to stand between them.

"Ken…"

"I know, Joe! Damn it, I know!"

"You know… what?"

"I know that I nearly blew it, all right?"

"I…" But before Joe could properly respond to this, Ken was shouting at him, the words spilling out of him so fast that Joe could barely keep up.

"I left you guys alone so I could go off and wallow in memories of my father. And even though I _knew_ that there was no way he could be alive, I believed it the instant I saw him. The _instant_, Joe! I just jumped at the chance to believe he was alive again! And by doing that, by leaving all reason behind, I endangered the rest of you when you all came looking for me. Not only that, I _personally_ gave Hakase the fucking transmitter that nearly killed him and destroyed the Crescent Coral Base! I'm going to have to live with that for the rest of my life! How could I have been so _stupid_…?"

The Eagle turned to look at the Condor, a defeated expression on his face.

"And you know the worst thing about it, Joe? The stupidest thing of all?"

The Condor silently shook his head with a jerk, not knowing how else to respond.

"I let that bastard Katse know how much it got to me." Ken hissed through his teeth. "I wanted to tear that Galactor rat apart with my bare hands when I found out, and as I was throttling him, I told him that Red Impulse was my father!"

"But Red Impulse is dead…"

"It doesn't matter!" Ken shouted, slamming his hand onto his kitchen counter. "Now that Katse knows, he knows I'm weak! He'll use that against me, over and over…"

The Eagle walked dejectedly over to his couch, sinking down onto the hard, lumpy cushions.

"Katse knows nothing." Joe said grimly, leaning against the wall in his usual pose, as if this were a casual conversation. "All he knows is that you're _human_. Of course, I'm not sure I can say the same for Katse…" The Condor snorted in disgust.

"You're making fun of me." Ken accused.

"No." Joe stared hard at his friend. "I'm making fun of Katse. It's not the same thing at all."

"How can you make jokes?" Ken shouted, throwing up his hands in disgust. "Don't you get it? Now that Katse knows, Galactor's going to be throwing my father up at me at every opportunity! They'll do everything they can to get at that weakness of mine again!"

"And who are you, to think you're so fucking important?"

"What?"

"You heard me."

The Condor's face was cool and calm. In contrast, the Eagle's face was a fiery red, his lips sputtering as he tried to form a coherent response. Joe smiled thinly before speaking again.

"Obviously you're an important part of the Science Ninja Team." he said. "But that's just it: we're a _Team_, Ken. Sometimes you get all wrapped up in this 'Gatchaman' thing, and you forget that. Sure, none of us is perfect, but we all have strengths and weaknesses. Even you, Ken."

"But Katse…"

"But, nothing! Katse is an idiot bastard who got lucky and hit your sore spot. But even he's got to realize that if he tries to pretend your father is alive again, you're not going to believe him. Today, Katse found out that a dead man is your father. Big shit! I have a dead father too, and so do Jun and Jinpei. It's not like Katse can actually _do_ anything to your Dad, right?"

"No…" Ken admitted sourly.

"He found out that insulting your father's memory pisses you off. So do lots of other things, like threatening Hakase, and killing innocent civilians. I'm pretty sure Katse had already figured those last two out, even with his shit for brains. So how does this one extra thing really make a difference?"

"Don't you see? Every mission, Galactor will…"

"Will what? Throw an image of Red Impulse at you? Like you'd fall for that, now that you know their tricks? Hell, you already figured it out the first time!"

"I…"

Ken paused, thinking through what Joe had said. At last he sighed sadly, the lines of his body no longer so tense, or rigid.

"It took me a while to figure it out." Ken said finally. "I didn't see it right away. If I had…"

"But you did, and that's what's important." Joe said firmly.

"If I hadn't, I'd be dead." Ken revealed. "Katse tried to poison me."

"What was it that tipped you off?"

"You know, I'm not entirely sure. When I first saw him… it was my father. It _was_. He looked the same as always. Sounded the same as always. Every little nuance was the same. Everything burned into my memory was there…"

"Did he say anything about being your father?"

"No… but all the same, it was there. I _felt_ it. I was so sure that this man was my father, I didn't even _think_ to question him about the information he was giving me, or why he didn't want to accompany me back to Crescent Coral Base."

"But if you were so sure… then what happened?"

"That's just it… I don't know."

"But _something_ caused you to eventually be suspicious."

"It was the second time I saw him. There was just… I couldn't put my finger on it. Maybe it was because Hakase had been so skeptical. But something wasn't right. He just wasn't _exactly_ as I remembered. It wasn't like I felt the first time. And then…"

"Then?"

"Then he called me 'Gatchaman'."

"I see…"

"My father _never_ called me 'Gatchaman'. He only ever called me 'Ken'. But there was no way for Katse to know that. At the time, that's what made me suspicious enough not to drink the coffee he offered. But now, when I think about it, that was only the catalyst. That entire visit just wasn't _right_, somehow."

"So what do you think happened between the first and second visits?"

"I don't know. Maybe I was just naïve and stupid and too eager to believe everything was on the up and up." Ken said sadly. "Hakase warned me that it probably wasn't true. I didn't think he had convinced me, but maybe he just placed enough suspicion at the back of my mind…"

"Maybe." Joe outwardly agreed, but inside, something didn't sit right with him. Why would Ken be completely convinced that the man was his father, and then later become uneasy? It _might_ be as the Eagle had suggested: that his conversation with Dr. Nambu had made him more aware of minor discrepancies, but that didn't ring true for the Condor. Ken had always been obsessive about his father, and had become even more so since the day he had discovered the man was alive… only to lose him again.

Ken would have been aware of any differences from the first moment possible. Joe was certain of it. So why had it taken the Eagle so long to become suspicious of Katse? The man was good at disguises, but he didn't have the knowledge to carry off such a ruse.

Or did he?

Something was off, and it was driving the Condor crazy that he didn't know what the hell it was.

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Captain Black ran down the long corridor, the few green-uniformed guards he encountered not hindering his progress in any way, despite the secret and sacred nature of this particular passageway.

He burst through the massive double doors at the end of the corridor, falling to his knees and prostrating himself before the overwhelming presence that inhabited the chamber.

"Sosai!" Kentaro cried desperately. "Something terrible has happened!"

"Yes." sneered the alien entity. "You have deceived me, Kentaro Washio. You have lied to me!"

"I would never deceive you, Sosai!" Kentaro begged, frantically running through the events of the past few days, in the hope of discovering what vicious untruths that purple mutant might have put into the alien entity's head.

"So then," smirked Berg Katse, stepping out of the shadows and coming into Kentaro's view, "do you deny that Gatchaman is your son? Your own flesh and blood?"

The blood drained from Kentaro's face. His mouth opened and closed soundlessly; no words coming out.

_How did they know?  
_

"I see that you cannot." laughed Katse. "Not that I doubt the source of this information."

"What source?" croaked Kentaro. He detested this show of weakness in front of his rival, but at the moment the Captain was too shell-shocked to display anything other than his true emotions.

"Why, Gatchaman himself!" Katse hissed, lowering his face until it was but an inch from Kentaro's, and the Captain could practically see his own reflection in the purple mutant's glossy pink lips. "I can't image that he would admit to sharing _anything_ with detestable scum such as yourself, unless it was undeniably true."

_Ken_? It had been _Ken_ who had betrayed him? Kentaro's mind reeled from this revelation. How could his son have done such a thing? Why would he _ever_ disclose such personal information to the enemy? And then it hit him.

Ken _hadn't_ been disclosing this information to the enemy. He had been disclosing it to _his own father_.

"You purposely sabotaged my base of operations, and took my place without Sosai's authorization!" Kentaro accused, standing to face down his rival. "You impersonated me, when there was no need to do such a thing! You put the entire mission in jeopardy!"

"As a matter of fact, the entire mission completely failed." Katse yawned casually, as if he were speaking of an entirely trivial matter. "The Science Ninja Team survived, the Crescent Coral Base escaped our attack, and the new underwater base has been destroyed, along with Gigabee. But these things are hardly _my_ fault. If _you_ had been completely forthcoming with Sosai, none of this would have ever happened."

"I _have_ been completely forthcoming with Sosai!" Kentaro raged. "It is _you_, with your petty jealousy, who has prevented Galactor from achieving an enormous coup! Why, today, we could have wiped out all resistance to our forces!"

"You have lied to me!" screamed Sosai.

Kentaro turned to face the alien entity, terror etched into every line of his face. In his anger at Katse, he had completely forgotten that his Master was there, listening to every word. He had never heard or seen Sosai so enraged.

"How _dare_ you withhold such vital information!" the alien entity hissed. "You could have stopped the Science Ninja Team with what you knew!"

"That's what I was trying to do…"

"Silence!"

The very air around him began to vibrate and hum. Sosai's visual image took on a red haze, and Kentaro's head suddenly felt as if it might explode. He fell to the ground, clutching at his ears, as if to rip them from his head, in a futile attempt to keep from hearing the horrible sound recklessly crashing its way through his brain. Dimly, he realized that Berg Katse was in a similar predicament.

"Kentaro Washio, you have betrayed me in the worst way possible." Sosai accused. "You have earned yourself the ultimate retribution."

The noise decreased in its intensity, and Kentaro shakily pulled himself to his knees, then prostrated himself before his Master.

"I accept your death sentence, Sosai." he said quietly. "Know that even as I draw my last breath, it shall be a whisper of your name in love…"

"Your sentence is _not_ death." the alien entity intoned gleefully.

"What?" screeched Katse. "Sosai, how can you _not_ execute this miserable wretch for his betrayal of Galactor?"

"Do you _dare_ to question my judgment, Katse?" Sosai sneered.

"No, Sosai." The purple mutant bowed respectfully, but it was clearly costing him not to protest further on the matter.

"Kentaro Washio, for you, there are _worse_ things than death." the alien entity smirked. "You have deceived and betrayed those among whom you have lived, and you have deceived and betrayed those to whom you professed your loyalty. You have _no one_."

"All that matters is you, Sosai." Kentaro groveled.

"Then you no longer have _anything_ that matters, Kentaro Washio." the alien entity declared. Sosai paused before declaring his punishment.

"You are banished."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

_**Ten Months Later **_

The air was still. An eerie silence blanketed the area, emphasized by the stern and menacing visages of the ancient stone monoliths that populated this valley. The cold Himalayan air was intensified by the damp mist that hung over everything, sending its damp chill into a person's very bones.

But he no longer felt such mundane things.

Joe Asakura's life was slipping away, his blood soaking the earth upon which he lay as his final contribution to this world, and its salvation. He could do no more than he had already done; directing those who were still capable of stopping this threat to the heart of the disaster; showing them the way, so that they could stop a vicious alien entity and his fanatical disciple from destroying the entire planet.

He felt deep vibrations beneath him, and another earthquake rumbled forth; the ground upon which he was lying rolling like a wave beneath him. To his right, a chasm opened up, but though he wished for it, he did not fall in.

He did not deserve a quick, merciful death.

He had made many mistakes in his life. Sighing, he clutched at the sharp, metal bird in his hands, ignoring the cuts it was making into his bruised and battered fingers. He recalled the day that Dr. Nambu had assigned the Science Ninja Team their ranks, telling Joe that he was to be G2. At the time it had seemed like such a devastating blow, but now he knew that it had been the right decision. Both he and Ken had had their ups and downs, yet in the end, Ken had made a better leader. After all, it was Ken who was inside Galactor Headquarters right now, saving the world, while Joe lay on the doorstep, unable to join his Team in this final battle.

And it was Ken who would carry on, to take care of the most precious thing in Joe's life.

Joe had never meant to become involved with Jun. Hell, he had never realized that he had _wanted_ to become involved with Jun. And yet, it had happened, all the same. And despite knowing what such a thing was doing to Ken, these past ten weeks had been the happiest times he had ever known. Jun had made his life complete; given him something he had never even known was missing. He had lived his life with a hole inside of him; one that had been created by the deaths of his parents, and then made deeper by his experiences during the war. For that short time, Jun had been a part of him, bringing the two broken halves of his soul together in a way that had made him feel hopeful, for the first time in his memory.

But it hadn't been something that could last.

Shrapnel embedded into his brain from some long-ago mission had been slowly moving through his cerebellum, and now those fragments were finally reaching the inevitable conclusion of their journey. Joe Asakura wasn't meant for happiness; everything he touched turned sour.

At least, he had done the same for Berg Katse.

Hundreds of bullet wounds, dozens in his head alone, oozed his life onto the rocky ground, and he saw Jun's face in front of his, her expression of denial as he had told her that she should be with Ken. Surely in time she would realize that was how it was _supposed_ to have been all along; that the universe had only been playing a cruel trick on him, allowing Joe Asakura to think for one brief, shining moment that happiness might be his.

He only hoped that the ground would swallow him whole before she emerged from Galactor Headquarters. He would remember the anguish on her face forever; he didn't need to see it again.

It was getting darker now. It wasn't just his vision blurring; he could tell that the sun was setting. He was getting weaker; he could barely hold onto Ken's boomerang now. His fingers loosened their grip of their own accord, and he felt the weapon slide off of his chest and onto the ground next to him. In the pinkish-orange glow of the sunset, a dark figure approached, his black cloak barely moving in the still air.

The Condor knew that his time was coming to an end, and strangely, he was not afraid. The figure paused, then bent down, picking him up in its arms. He was going home, and Joe Asakura would go with him.

Joe closed his eyes, his body limp and unresponsive as he was carried away. Whatever would come, let it come.

His life was over.


	18. Epilogue

Epilogue

_**One Year Later **_

Kentaro Washio surveyed his men. They were a ragtag bunch, primarily made up of former Galactor soldiers who had been left wandering the world without guidance, after the failure of the Black Hole Plan.

But now they had a leader, in the form of Captain Black. Strangely, Berg Katse had never publicized the banishment of his rival from Galactor, and so when the inevitable chaos had arisen among the remnants of the organization after the final defeat at Cross Karokorum, Kentaro had been able to assemble a new team together, to continue Sosai's work.

Of course, there had been the inevitable lowlifes who had simply used Galactor's defeat and loss of leadership as an excuse to run riot. These useless idiots had taken to a life of petty thievery, rape and murder as a way to sustain themselves. Kentaro had no use for such scum. When he encountered men such as these, he routinely executed them. However, men of talent, men who simply required the appropriate leadership and guidance, he took under his wing. Berg Katse was gone, but Galactor would rise again.

And this time, Captain Black would be in control.

At the moment, his goal was simply to regain strength. He sent his men out in small raiding parties all over the world to obtain the supplies and resources his fledgling organization needed. To gain financial clout, he had made connections with various narcotics rings around the globe, providing transportation and 'security' in exchange for monetary remuneration. Unfortunately, it was this part of his operation that was most subject to scrutiny by the UN and other law enforcement agencies, but that was unavoidable. He needed financial resources in order to bring Galactor back to a position of strength.

He had to be ready for Sosai's return.

When he had been banished by Sosai nearly two years ago, Kentaro Washio had been in agony. He had been living with that emotional agony ever since. The alien entity had been right that banishment was worse than death, and the former Captain had found himself wandering from place to place, scraping out an existence with little care for where he ended up next.

He had had nowhere to go; no one whom he could contact. As Red Impulse, he was dead. There had been no one from that life upon whom he could rely. As Captain Black, he had not dared to show his face in any Galactor base, and so he had found himself caught in the middle of a war that he was no longer part of. He had stayed on the outskirts of civilization; gathering, begging, or stealing what little he needed to survive. It had been a miserable, desperate existence, and yet he hadn't been able to bring himself to end his own life. Deep down, he had held one thought in his heart.

Sosai had wanted him to remain alive.

As long as Kentaro Washio remained alive, there was the chance that Sosai might take him back.

And then that horrible day had come. At the time, Kentaro had had no idea that the world was about to come to an end. He had noted the frequent earthquakes in the remote Ifriquian nation in which he had been living at the time, but had not realized that they were unusual for the area, being unfamiliar with that geographical region.

But he had immediately recognized an entirely different sensation. Never before had he experienced that wrenching, torturous ripping of his soul from his body, but he had known instantly what it was.

Sosai was gone.

His eyes had shot to the sky, but there, halfway across the world from the Himalayas, he had seen nothing of the alien entity's departure. Yet the core of him had felt his Master tearing himself away, moving through great distances beyond which Kentaro could never hope to reach.

In the first few days of Sosai's absence, Kentaro had gone through an even deeper depression than he had before. He had known that he had been truly abandoned. If the alien entity had forgone the Earth, then there was no chance that he would ever forgive his most loyal servant.

And yet… there had been one thing keeping him alive: the need to understand _why_. Why had Sosai left? What had gone wrong?

It had taken him a week to make his way to a settlement large enough to obtain news of worldwide import. And when he had read about the events leading up to the Science Ninja Team's victory over Galactor, he had finally understood.

Sosai had not abandoned this planet.

Rather, the alien entity had simply left to acquire more resources, or perhaps bring back more of its kind. For an entity of Sosai's power could never be defeated by Kentaro's mere whelp of a son. That simply wasn't possible. The news reports had had it wrong. They often did.

News of Berg Katse's death had caused hope to flame anew in his heart. Now that his rival was dead, surely when Sosai returned, he would be searching for a new representative. Someone he could use to achieve the goals he had long held dear.

And Kentaro would be that man.

From that moment, he had turned his life around; dedicating his life to restoring Galactor, so that when Sosai returned, they would be ready.

Today's objective was no different from one his men had achieved dozens of times before: to pick up a shipment of narcotics from a Hong Kong operative and transport them from there to New Jork. Payment for the shipment was to be made in high-tech weaponry, of which Kentaro would take half. An additional cash bonus had been promised if his men could deliver the goods within twenty-four hours.

Kentaro intended to get that bonus. His financial resources were beginning to run short, as he had constructed two new installations from which to consolidate his operations. One was devoted to the training of new soldiers, and the other was a research and development base, from which he planned to design new mecha for Sosai's eventual approval. Of yet, his men did not wear Galactor green, but it was only a matter of time before it became commonly recognized that he had taken over the organization.

He would be Lord Black, then.

Kentaro smiled to himself as they approached New Jork, dreaming of his future successes. No matter how long it took, he was determined to have everything ready for Sosai's arrival. He had made a mistake, but he was not disloyal. He would prove that to Sosai.

Their transport was now just over one thousand kilometers from New Jork, passing over the Great Ameris Desert. It wouldn't be long now before they could deposit their cargo and returned to base with their payment.

Kentaro smiled to himself. He had plans for the resources he was about to acquire.

"Sir, there's someone out there."

"Out where?" Black asked, looking at the radar display for any sign of another aircraft.

"On the ground, Sir." The navigator pointed at the main viewscreen, indicating a small, dark shape moving slowly across the desert sand.

"What the hell…?" Kentaro squinted as he tried to get a fix on the object. It was very small… a car, perhaps? But there were no roads out in this remote area, which was the main reason the Captain had chosen this particular route.

As he increased the scanners' magnification for a better view, Kentaro realized that the object was actually smaller than a car.

It looked like a man.

But that was impossible. There were no facilities, no shelter, out here of any kind. The conditions were too harsh for camping. Who could be out here on their own, and yet still be able to survive? It was impossible.

And yet, proof that it was _not_ impossible was right there, in front of him.

"It's got to be a false reading." Kentaro declared. "Check with the backup system."

"Backup system says it's there too." the navigator replied.

"That's not possible." Kentaro insisted. "No one could survive out here."

The navigator knew enough not to contradict Captain Black, and so he remained silent while Kentaro chewed on this information and contemplated their next course of action.

"Shoot it down." the Captain ordered after a moment. "Whatever it is, we can't let it report that we've been here."

"Yes, Sir!"

The transport vessel turned around, moving to face the object head-on. The aircraft was hardly a warship, but it was equipped with two short-range laser cannons, which were more than enough to take out a ground object of this size.

"Set your sights and prepare to fire on my order." the Captain instructed.

"Ready, Sir!"

They were moving in closer, and it was now evident that the object in question was, indeed, a man. He was holding something on his shoulder. It was a…

"Oh, shit!" cried the pilot, swerving quickly and sending Kentaro and his men tumbling across the Bridge.

"Is that an X39-SR?" gasped the gunner as he attempted to regain his position at the weapons station.

"It couldn't be!" the navigator cried, but the man's face blanched when he saw what the viewscreen clearly showed: an SR rocket flashing by their hull, with another one moving in.

"He has the damn thing on his shoulder!" the gunner protested. "Those launchers weigh at least two hundred kilos!"

But the man's remaining insights were lost as the Bridge exploded in a fiery rain of glass and metal.

Kentaro saw a wall of flame appear in front of him, and he fell to the floor as the transport vessel spun out of control, plummeting toward the ground.

"What the hell…?" he shouted, struggling to look through the bloody haze that covered his eyes. He blinked rapidly, his mind attempting to process what had happened as pain seared across his forehead. He put his hand to his face, but it felt sticky and wet, and came away covered in red.

He moved to rise, his right leg protesting in agony. But there wasn't any time to baby the appendage. The front half of the Bridge was gone, and with it, the gunner. Only a few seconds had passed since the rocket had hit their aircraft, but in that brief space of time, the situation had instantly become one of life or death.

Kentaro Washio didn't intend to die.

The remnants of the transport vessel were hurtling toward the rocky desert landscape below. Desperately, the Captain crawled to the nearest chair (recently occupied by the pilot, who was now nowhere to be found) and strapped in, bracing himself for a rough landing. He attempted to cry out a warning to his men, but his voice was drowned out by the rush of air coming through the numerous hull breaches and the screaming of emergency alarms. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the navigator desperately attempting to take control of the ship, but Kentaro knew that such actions would prove useless. There was too much damage. He gritted his teeth and waited for the end.

When the end came, it was with a bone-shattering, earthshaking crunch, as the transport vessel crashed into the ground, fountains of dust and sand flying up from the impact point.

He was alive.

Amazingly, it was true. Every one of his muscles burned like fire, and he suspected that he had broken at least half of the bones in his lower body, but he was alive.

Consciousness, however, was fleeting. His perception of what was happening flowed and ebbed, blacking out and coming back in slow bursts. He knew that the ship had crashed, that he had been thrown from his seat despite the restraints, but all else was beyond him.

After some time, perhaps minutes or hours, he wasn't entirely certain, he heard a noise. It sounded like someone moving through the remains of the ship.

"Over here…" Kentaro croaked, desperately glad that one of his four men had somehow managed to survive the landing.

There was no verbal response, but the sound ceased for a moment, and then resumed, now moving in his direction. The precarious support for the remainder of the hull that enclosed this part of the damaged ship creaked with each oncoming footstep.

A pair of legs came into Kentaro's view. He found himself physically unable to turn his head enough to look up past the man's knees. The only means Kentaro had of identifying his rescuer was by his footwear; boots that were sturdy and grey, appropriate for a hundred-mile hike through a blisteringly hot desert.

This _wasn't_ one of his men.

The other man gave a sharp intake of breath; not quite a gasp, but definitely a noise of surprise.

"_You_!"

The word was cold and venomous; one syllable, but Kentaro recognized the owner of the voice immediately.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" sneered the man, crouching down so that Kentaro could get a good look at his face.

"I could ask you the same question, Condor." Kentaro choked, blood filling his mouth as he spoke.

"I suspect our answers would be quite different." the Condor said wryly, but there was no humor in his tone. He stared thoughtfully at Kentaro for a moment.

"You're not going to try to convince me that you're working for the ISO, or the UN?" the Condor asked curiously.

"No use… " coughed Kentaro. "You'd know it wasn't the truth."

"True." the Condor nodded curtly, then stood up, so that all Kentaro could see of him was from his knees down. "I've been tracking you Galactor scum for days. I knew that this ship would be here, what its armaments were, and what it was carrying. I knew how many men it carried, and that one of them was the current 'Leader' of the organization…"

There was a pregnant pause, the silence broken only by the creaking of the damaged ship, and Kentaro's ragged breaths.

"But I _didn't_ know that it was _you_." the Condor finally continued, a touch of amazement mixed in with his angry tone. "There's always been something about you… something I never trusted. Ken couldn't see it…"

"Tell him then." Kentaro laughed, his amusement quickly turning to agony as his chest heaved and his body was wracked with pain.

"I wouldn't do that to him." the Condor said coldly. "I don't want to destroy him. I'm not _you_."

Kentaro gave no response to this, but merely groaned.

"Not that you're going to be around to tell him yourself." the Condor smirked, and Kentaro heard the distinctive click of a firing pin being pulled back.

But just as he was expecting the worst, the worst never came.

An ominous vibration began to build deep inside of Kentaro's mind: a frequency so strange, yet so familiar, that he wailed an animal-like cry of joy and pain that overtook him, wiping nearly all other conscious thoughts from his brain. The only other thing of which he was even dimly aware was that the Condor had _not_ pulled the trigger on his pistol, but was stumbling away, clutching at his own head, his own grunts of pain filling the air.

But this was of no importance.

With every last modicum of strength he possessed, Kentaro's thoughts reached out, desperately seeking that which had finally returned to him.

"Sosai!"

Nothing else mattered, but that his Master had returned to Earth. The proximity of the alien entity's presence filled him with joy, and he cried out again, mentally reaching across the miles to the faraway site where he sensed Sosai's essence once more.

"I see that you have been waiting for me." the alien entity remarked dryly. "What have you been doing, Kentaro?"

"Preparing for your return." Kentaro replied. "I knew you would need someone to help you, when you came back."

"What is wrong with you?" Sosai interrupted, and Kentaro suddenly felt the alien entity's presence in his mind. But this was like nothing he had ever experienced before. Sosai had changed, in some indefinable way, and Kentaro found that his memories were an open book to his Master.

"I see." Sosai sighed. "You've made a mess of things again."

"All I wanted was to serve you." Kentaro begged. "That's all I _ever_ wanted."

The alien entity was silent.

The quiet stretched on, even as what little remained of Kentaro's life ebbed from his body. It felt like an eternity as he waited for his Master's judgment.

"You are going to die." Sosai stated bluntly. "You are already hallucinating. The man you just saw _couldn't_ have been who you thought he was. You can't be of any use to me."

"I… can…" Kentaro choked, his lungs filling with blood.

"You don't have what I need." the alien entity went on thoughtfully, as if he were muddling through something. "You won't be able to perform all of the tasks I would require…"

"Let me try, Sosai!" Kentaro cried out, desperate for approval, his passion for the matter at hand giving him the strength to plead his case. "If you must create another to fulfill your needs, so be it, but let me be on equal footing with him! Let me show you what I can do…"

Kentaro's chest heaved, and his body was wracked with pain. The agony intensified, taking him over so that he was aware of nothing but its overwhelming strength, growing ever stronger, until it was more than he could bear.

He was going to die… but at least it would be in the light of Sosai's presence. He could feel that light now, growing stronger.

And then the pain was gone.

He was unable to move, his limbs encased in some kind of invisible force. But Sosai was near. He could sense his Master's presence all around him.

"Of all who have served me, you have, in your limited way, been the most loyal. But you are too petty, too jealous, to be an effective leader."

His body seemed different… as if it were being altered from the inside out. He could almost feel his muscles and bones shifting.

"I am creating you anew." Sosai announced. "You will serve me, but your face and form will not be what you knew before. Even your mind will be wiped clean, so that you may begin your service to me again, without the burden of your jealous rivalries."

He wept with joy, understanding that the one thing he truly wanted in the universe was now his. Everything he had ever done had been for this moment. And if he was to take on a new body, a new face, a new memory… that was an easy price to pay.

He couldn't even recall his own name now, but that didn't matter. He was Sosai's favored servant, sitting at the alien entity's right hand, devoted to his Master for all eternity.

The white light faded, and a new, shivering creature emerged from the alien womb into which its Creator had placed it. The creature's eyes fell upon the shining rainbow colors of his alien maker.

"Master!" the creature cried, falling to its knees. "I live but to serve you! Tell me your name!"

"I am Sosai, the most powerful being your pitiful eyes will ever behold." the alien entity announced.

"And I am…?" The creature was puzzled. _Who_ was he? He didn't know.

Sosai looked down upon him.

"You will be called… Marstora."

**The End…**

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_If you are feeling cheated that I skipped over Joe and Jun's relationship… don't! That story has already been written, and is the first fic in my _Discovery/Recovery/Reconciliation_ trilogy, another part of my Origins series, which is also posted on this site._


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